


Of Complacency and Conspiracies

by FaultyParagon



Series: RWBY AUs [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Asexual Character, Awkward Dates, Community Theatre, Conspiracy, Cute, Didn't Know They Were Dating, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Getting to Know Each Other, Humor, Meddling, Meddling Friends, Plot Twists, Pyrrha Nikos-centric, Renora, Romance, arkos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-08-13 04:20:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 22,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20168047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaultyParagon/pseuds/FaultyParagon
Summary: AU. Pyrrha is Nora's best friend. Jaune is Ren's best friend. And Nora and Ren, childhood friends-turned-housemates, have been dating for probably the last ten years, although they'd never figure that out on their own. So, it's time for Pyrrha and Jaune- acquaintances with the same goal- to team up and make their friends get… together-together. It'll be fine, right?Arkos, Renora. Updates daily.





	1. Day 1: Planning

**Author's Note:**

> This was a challenge fic- 1 chapter a day for 30 days, with a goal of 700 words per chapter. Enjoy!

**Day 1: Planning**

"So. We're in agreement, right?" Ruby's anxious eyes ran over everyone in attendance as she nervously sipped her diabetes-in-a-cup frappe.

Yang nodded vigorously, crossing her arms in thought. "We honestly should've done this years ago."

Blake chuckled quietly, glancing up from her book. Pyrrha couldn't tell if the girl was giggling from her novel, or from the day's events, but either way, she seemed to be in a good mood. The dark-haired girl offered, "Well, better late than never."

Weiss huffed, stirring her coffee idly. "Okay, but it's not exactly like it's going to be easy. They're _so _far beyond just telling them to hook up, they're so dense."

Pyrrha chuckled, clasping her hands together in her lap. She fiddled with her keys, her lanyard splayed across her bare knees. She had run here directly from work- it wasn't often that Ruby messaged her, so seeing the younger girl's frantic plea for help had urged her to head straight over from her gym. _Thank goodness I didn't have a booked afternoon. _

However, she hadn't been expecting to find Ruby's older sister and friends in the corner of _A Simple Bean, _the neighbourhood's favourite hipster café. Ruby had rushed to her, guiding her back towards an empty seat. It was more than enough to fluster Pyrrha, having not seen them for so long- but smiles and simple greetings had been easy, free-flowing, and she quickly felt at home. She hadn't ever been very close with Ruby's friends, but enough time with Ruby in college had practically guaranteed that Pyrrha knew everyone in her inner circle.

One of those very people, Sun, pouted and leaned back. "So, what's the plan? You realize that there's literally nothing we can do to make them _more _like a couple, right?"

"But they're not a 'couple' yet!" Ruby shrieked simultaneously with Yang protesting, "But they're not sleeping with each other yet!"

A cup of dark hot chocolate with a swirl of whipped cream on top was placed in front of the Pyrrha, startling the redhead. She hadn't ordered anything. But, she relaxed, seeing who it was. The blond server was a familiar face, although she knew him the least.

The blond took a seat in the final empty chair, and Ruby clapped her hands, eyes determined. "Alright, so here's the plan. Pyrrha!"

"Hello there!" she waved automatically.

"Pyrrha is Nora's best friend."

Pyrrha beamed. "Ever since we were roommates!"

Ruby nodded. "Jaune!"

"Yes ma'am!" the blond waiter saluted by Pyrrha's side.

"Jaune's Ren's best friend."

"Ever since middle school, yup yup."

Ruby grinned, pulling out a thick folder. "We'll set up the dates, meet-ups, dinners. So, you two need to convince them to read into those things. I'll send you more detailed info later."

Weiss looked like she was about to explode. "One: is that my binder? Two: how have they lived together for so long and not realized they're practically married?!"

Pyrrha laughed quietly, shrugging. "That's what happens when your childhood best friend is basically your soulmate. Nora just thinks that she and Ren will be together forever."

"And Ren doesn't even know he loves Nora," Jaune groaned. "He's just accepted her… existing."

Yang punched a fist into her other hand, grinning evilly. "Well, that's why it's our job to make them see it. Operation Renora is a go!"

Everyone cheered (including Neptune, the barista working the till, despite not being involved since he didn't know Nora and Ren from college) and began talking strategy.

Pyrrha laughed aloud. What a ridiculous scheme. She didn't mind helping, though- Nora and Ren _belonged _together. She'd love to see them finally realize it.

Jaune tapped her on the shoulder, holding out a hand for her to shake. "Let's play our parts?"

Pyrrha didn't know Jaune very well. Their circles, aside from Nora, Ren and Ruby, had never run together. What she _did _know, however, was that he was earnest to a fault, not very bright, and loved Ren a lot.

"I look forward to working with you, partner," Pyrrha chuckled, grabbing his hand. It was large, warm. For some reason, as she squeezed his hand, she felt just a little more confident that they'd be able to pull this heist off.


	2. Day 2: An Open Door

**Day 2: An Open Door**

It was Day 2 of Ruby's ridiculous '30 Days to make Renora a Reality' plan. Why there was a 30-day deadline, Pyrrha didn't know- Ruby's binder, while chock-full of ideas to guide Nora and Ren into an official relationship, was utterly fixated on the month-long limit.

She pondered this, sitting with Jaune in _A Simple Bean _during his break when she had an hour between clients. The café was fairly empty, right in the lull between the end of lunch and the end of the school day, when nearby college students would set up camp to study in the cozy booths lining the shop.

She tightened her ponytail, sighing when her stomach grumbled a little. Right before this appointment, she had dealt with a soon-to-be bride, the young woman having a meltdown right before the end of Pyrrha's session with her. One thing had led to another, and Pyrrha ended up skipping lunch. On an empty stomach, the cheesecake displayed in the glass looked _so _tempting.

Jaune cleared his throat, bringing her attention away from the seductive dessert display. The redhead shook her head as he offered her a piece of his croissant. "I have to go back to work after this," she murmured kindly.

He nodded knowingly, taking a bite of the buttery treat. "You're a personal trainer, right?"

She retrieved one of her business cards, flashing her most professional smile. "If you ever need one, let me know!"

He blinked at her before bursting into an embarrassed smile. Pyrrha had to fight back the laugh that bubbled up, seeing croissant crumbs clumsily stuck around his mouth. _That'll… be a _no, _huh?_

Jaune pocketed her business card anyways. "So, I agree. We don't have tons of time. We've gotta get Nora and Ren to start _thinking _about dating, at least."

"Yup," Pyrrha replied, "but how?"

"I don't know. I mean, what haven't they gone through together already? Although honestly, I don't even know how the two of them met."

Instantly, Pyrrha supplied, "They were in elementary school, Nora was the new student. People teased her for having orange hair, so Ren brought her to his family's flower shop to cheer her up after school. They've been inseparable ever since."

Jaune whistled lowly, garnering a curious look from Pyrrha. The man murmured, "You realize that's more info than Ren _ever _gives me? I've known the guy for years, and he _never _talks about himself. I didn't even realize he was moving in with Nora after graduation until he told me where to drop off his boxes!"

Pyrrha laughed heartily at that. "Oh goodness, then there's Nora," she replied cheerily, "who updated me with every detail of their apartment hunt. I had no idea that there could be so many factors in choosing an apartment!"

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry, do you _also _not ever look at-"

"Storage space for pancake skillets," they both intoned in unison.

"That's our Nora," Pyrrha said fondly.

Jaune paused, looking at Pyrrha contemplatively. "How have we not hung out before, Pyrrha?" he asked thoughtfully.

She blushed, a little surprised by the sudden question. "Well… I mean, I was always at practice in college, so that's probably why?" Her degree had mostly been centered on the varsity field hockey team, so her social life had been dictated by who lived in her residence buildings. The blond laughed, and for a few minutes, they traded silly anecdotes about their best friends.

Jaune checked his watch. "Okay, I've gotta get back to work. What's the first thing on Ruby's list?"

Pyrrha flipped open her notebook where she had jotted down Ruby's vague timeline. "She wants them to have dinner first, and then there's an event at the aquarium in a few days." The twenty-four year old stood, stretching lightly. "I'll start working on convincing Nora about this dinner reservation?"

Jaune waved her business card at her. "I'll text you my progress with Ren!"

The redhead beamed at him. _I guess we're friends now, _she thought merrily as she shouldered her bag and wandered out the door. _About time, I suppose. He's nice. _And with that thought in mind, she jogged back to the gym, ready to meet her final clients of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment, let me know what you think!


	3. Day 3: Faces in the Street

**Day 3: Faces in the Street**

The Huntsmen Theatre Company- a quiet and unassuming theatre with a bumbling, timid receptionist named Leo, dim hallways, and incredible shows. Pyrrha waved to the twitchy man as usual. She knew her way around the theatre- and, with a free morning, she had the perfect opportunity to check on her excitable friend, a coffee for herself and a smoothie for Nora in hand.

Hanging on the wall to her right as she entered the techie's office was a giant banner announcing HTC's upcoming production of _Little Shop of Horrors. _Nora had been raving about it for months- apparently the costume for Audrey II was _incredible, _requiring four other extras to move its long tentacle-like vines. No alien plants were currently in sight, unfortunately. There _was _a lot of tape, though.

Rather than finding her best friend in her usual chipper state, Pyrrha found a tense, fuming orange-haired woman seated inside the office, a vein on her forehead pulsing as she stared at her computer screen. Knowing better than to interrupt her friend, Pyrrha put both drinks down far away from any equipment or wires. Then, she circled the room, approaching the fidgety girl from the side.

As soon as Pyrrha entered her field of vision, Nora leapt up and squeezed her in a bone-crushing hug. "Pyrrha, everything's ruined," she sobbed dramatically.

Long-accustomed to Nora's ways, Pyrrha manoeuvered them both over to sit on Nora's chair, the shorter woman practically crawling onto her lap. Patting her best friend's hair amusedly, Pyrrha murmured, "How's the schedule messed up today?"

"One of our speakers blew out earlier and it won't come back on, half our extension cords are missing, and we just _can't _find the right sound for Twoey!"

"Um… isn't that what the _actor _is for-"

"No, no, no!" Nora protested. Clicking open a folder on her laptop, she began to play different sickening, squelching sounds and thunderclaps off of stock audio files. "None of these are good!"

Pyrrha had very little expertise in the matter. Nora was the professional, after all- sound design, making things come _alive _(and hopefully not exploding _too _many things while doing so) was her specialty. So, she just patted the girl's back, plopping Nora back onto her seat to retrieve their drinks. "Are the costumes done, at least?"

"Oh, they're _so good, _Torchwick had Neo finish them _ages _ago," Nora gushed. However, her cranky expression lit up the instant she saw the smoothie. "Ooh, is that breakfast!" And then, her face fell once again. "Why do you get coffee, though?"

Pyrrha couldn't help but laugh at her pouting friend. "No coffee for you until full tech and dress rehearsals, you know that," she teased, handing the girl her drink.

As Nora eagerly slurped her smoothie down, humming and scrolling through more audio files, Pyrrha discreetly checked her phone. Ruby's reminder hung like a warning over her lock screen- _APPROACH TARGET TODAY!_

Taking a deep breath, she finally asked, "Nora, I have two fun questions."

"Lemme at 'em!" she chirped, eyes shifting to the redhead.

"First: when's the last time you went to the aquarium?"

She hummed thoughtfully, "Um… maybe high school? No, that assignment for Glynda's class!"

"Would you like to go again?"

"Um, heck yeah- it's a date!"

Pyrrha chuckled. _Not me, silly. _"Two: have you ever been to the restaurant in the Schnee Hotel?"

Nora gasped. "No. _NO. _You did _not _get a reservation."

"Yup, I totally got them," she fibbed awkwardly. "For you and Ren, though! Weiss got us into some random event, you see- but suddenly, no one can make it! The meals are complementary, so…"

"_What?! _It's free? Omigod. I heard their steak is to _die for,_" Nora murmured dreamily, salivating at the mere thought.

The redhead laughed. "So… you and Ren for… tomorrow night?"

Nora nodded vigorously. "Ren's opening tomorrow, so he'll be free, and I should be out of here by 6." Launching herself at Pyrrha once again, she squealed, "This is amazing! I'm going to eat _everything."_

And so, Pyrrha was able to walk out of HTC and wave goodbye to Leo with her head held high and a proud text sent to their group chat- _dinner is a go._


	4. Day 4: Windows

**Day 4: Windows**

"So," Weiss explained primly, flipping bangs out of her eyes, "Their reservation is under my name. Yours is under Ruby's -"

"Wait, what do you mean, _my _reservation?" The redhead paused mid-typed-sentence of details to Nora. "I'm not-"

The pale girl pulled out a nail file, cleaning up cuticles as she stated, "We need people to spy on them. How are we going to know if they make progress or not?"

"'People' implies multiple," Pyrrha protested. "Who else-"

Weiss jabbed a thumb at the man manning the till in _A Simple Bean. _"Tall, blond and scraggly." As if hearing them, Jaune waved at them before addressing the next customer.

Pyrrha spluttered for a moment. Going to _the _Schnee Hotel for dinner? With _Jaune, _of all people? "But- that's-" The rooftop restaurant was famous for its incredible dining ambiance- one only went there to make a _bold _statement. Pyrrha couldn't imagine going there herself, and she _certainly _didn't think she'd go to spy on Nora alongside someone she barely knew!

Weiss wasn't having it. "Pyrrha, the rest of us are busy, and I can't ask Klein to give me two tables on such short notice again- it wouldn't be fair on him." Straightening out her puffy skirt, the heiress insisted, "Just go have fun! It might be a bit embarrassing- I doubt blondie has any table manners- but you might as well enjoy yourself while spying. It's not every day that you get to eat at the Schnee Hotel for free." Pointing a manicured finger at the redhead, she warned, "And _don't _forget to report in."

That's how Pyrrha, in a flattering suede red dress with a low, sensually-cut back and high choker collar, dined that evening in the elegant Schnee Hotel. Floor-to-ceiling windows revealed a breathtaking view of the sunset, light barely washing up past the horizon, melting into dark hues and sparkling stars. A large, refined chandelier emitted a warm romantic glow, with candlelight on each white tablecloth and wine-coloured napkin.

Pyrrha could only describe the blond seated across from her as _adorable. _The man wore a well-fitted suit, his shaggy blond hair tamed a little more than usual, blue accents on his tie bringing out the colour of his eyes. _He's fairly handsome, _she thought idly as a waiter brought them their complementary wine.

Jaune was focused somewhere else, however. He was having a grand time holding up his menu over his face, eyes peeking out over the top to scrutinize their targets from a distance. "They're not doing _anything _romantic," he grumbled.

Pyrrha glanced over, smiling warmly at what she saw. Nora leaned forward excitedly as they waited for their food, babbling her head off- based on the grandiose motions she kept doing with her arms, Pyrrha could only assume that she was talking about HTC- while Ren simply examined the floral arrangement placed as the centerpiece on their table. Even when the food arrived and Nora practically _exploded _with joy, she kept a steady monologue going between bites.

Jaune laughed ruefully. "People always say that Ren shouldn't let her talk that much. Ren totally doesn't mind it, though."

Pyrrha smiled in thanks when their waiter brought her an appetizer. It was true- at a glance, Nora and Ren looked like an exasperating duo, with Nora giving too much, Ren giving too little.

And yet, as Pyrrha watched the way the duo ate, it was clear that Ren didn't mind. While Nora spoke, he would pick mushrooms off her plate- she detested them- and push peas and tomatoes onto hers- her favourites. He would hand her a napkin when she got sauce on herself, and ensured that she always had full glasses of water and wine. And when the girl asked him anything, he would answer succinctly, sharply- but the girl would _smile, _and it looked perfect.

But overall, nothing was new. Pyrrha soon found herself ignoring her mission, instead focusing on Jaune. He was fun to eat with- he was always so _lively, _ready to throw in a quip or witty comment. His puns made her groan, but they were good-natured, and by the end of the night, they split dessert and laughed when he dropped mousse on his tie. It was lovely.

Although nothing new developed between their targets, as her final report to the group chat that night explained, she knew in her heart that she was happy to have gone.


	5. Day 5: Home

**Day 5: Home**

"Whoa." Awed, Jaune wandered wide-eyed through the spacious, homey studio apartment. Pyrrha blushed, seeing his amazement as he examined her clothing rack-turned-hanging garden by the window. She quickly turned to the kitchen sink to fill up her kettle. Busying herself with making tea was a lot easier than watching Jaune explore her studio with such delight.

Pyrrha prided herself on her cozy home. Raised in a much more utilitarian household, her own space was always efficient and clean- but thanks to four years spent living with Nora, the girl being a veritable whirlwind of glitter and merchandise and _nonsense,_ Pyrrha had learned how to bring life into her home with little accents of red and gold here and there.

When the kettle finally began to whistle, the blond turned back to Pyrrha, red-faced and flustered. "Sorry if I was being rude," he chuckled sheepishly. "Your place is really nice!"

"It's nothing special," she insisted, pouring them both some tea and bringing it over to the coffee table. They had met up after work to figure out their next steps- but due to an open mic night happening in _A Simple Bean, _they had to move their meeting location. _Thank goodness this place was clean, _Pyrrha thought, ruefully glancing around her prim beige walls. She took a seat on an armchair in the corner, and the blond sat by her on the couch. "I'm sure yours is homey, too."

Immediately, Jaune snorted. "Mine's… definitely something."

"Closer to Ren or Nora?"

"Ooh, _way _past Nora."

Pyrrha laughed aloud. "Oh boy. Fan merchandise?"

Jaune shrugged guiltily. "I like comics, okay!"

She opened up Ruby's instructions. "We should probably get started on what we came her for," she teased. "You can tell me about your comic collection later."

The blond scoffed in mock hurt, holding his hand over his heart as if he were appalled. "How _dare _you, you can always find time to talk about comic collections!"

Pyrrha rolled her eyes, but as he posed dramatically, she took quick stock of the blond's figure. He looked fairly strong, definition pushing through his short-sleeved hoodie naturally, rather than perfectly-sculpted like many clients desired. Personally, Pyrrha preferred the look of Jaune's build compared to some of her peers. He looked like he was strong because of _life, _not because half his waking hours were spent working out. She could respect that.

Shaking herself out of it, she found the message in question. "So, the aquarium is the day after tomorrow," she read. "I brought the idea up with Nora, and she was really excited to go!"

"I haven't gotten to speak to Ren yet," the blond murmured mournfully. "He's been busy for the last few days."

"Not busy enough for dinner," Pyrrha sang lightly, sipping her tea.

"You're right, and they had fun, but nothing else happened!" Jaune groaned, collapsing back into the plush seat. He sighed heavily, then added, "Y'know, the aquarium might work. Ren really likes it."

This piqued her interest. "Really? I didn't know that."

He sipped his tea gingerly. Somehow managing to burn himself, he grimaced, then explained, "Yeah. We met at the aquarium. Middle school field trip."

"Really?" Pyrrha was intrigued. Ren never really liked talking about his past, although his life was fairly run-of-the-mill. Pyrrha only knew about his relationship with Nora, as her roommate had been more than happy to share every detail of their friendship with the redhead.

"Yeah," Jaune smiled, excited. His eyes dropped to his cup nostalgically. "There was this guy- Cardin Winchester, what a _dick-_ who kept bullying me with his little friends. We went on a field trip and they tried to push me into the seal pool like, at _least _three times- don't laugh!"

"I'm not!" It was a lie- Pyrrha was definitely hiding a small smile behind her teacup. She felt bad, but she could imagine a younger Jaune falling into the water _so easily_, and it was _adorable. _

The blond huffed, continuing, "Well, Ren saw me and sat with me at lunch. Let me talk his ear off about octopuses and then we've been friends ever since."

"…I don't see how that means _Ren _enjoys them, but-"

"Hey!"

"-but let's message them and make sure they can make it," Pyrrha soothed sweetly. She was excited, perfectly imagining Nora and Ren holding hands, walking through the darkened aquarium corridors. _What a lovely place for them to realize their feelings._


	6. Day 6: Aftermath

**Day 6: Aftermath**

The tickets to the aquarium Ruby had managed to acquire was an adults-only experience after hours targeting couples specifically to come and learn about the creatures of the sea, alongside wine and seafood pairing tastings.

Jaune couldn't help but laugh- "Isn't it a little cruel to eat fish _in front _of the tanks?!" he kept giggling as he and Pyrrha read over the adverts online while trying to come up with the perfect pitch to sell the adventure to Ren. She simply rolled her eyes and smacked his arm lightly, but she couldn't help but agree.

Nora was already on board, but she had wanted to go with Pyrrha, and that wouldn't get them very far in their plan. "But hey!" Pyrrha cheered brightly as Jaune was putting on his jacket to head out for the evening. "We're halfway there!"

Jaune pumped his fist in the air determinedly. "Yup," the blond grinned. "Now, I've just gotta convince Ren. I'm not opening tomorrow, so I'll drop by his store!"

The memory of his excitement was what made Pyrrha's visit to HTC so disappointing the next day. Bringing some healthy sandwiches for lunch, the redhead found Nora arguing with Emerald, the lighting specialist for the show, about different cues and effects.

"Pyrrha, I'm going to be stuck here all weekend," the orange-haired girl groaned. She cast a glance back through the open door, pouting mournfully at the pile of body-worn and headset microphones she still had to set up. Emerald had already stormed off to go discuss things with Mercury, the techie managing the spotlight for the show. "I don't think I can make the aquarium." She huffed, stamping her foot angrily. "Ooh, and I was _so excited! _There's so many cute little fishies…" Looking back up at the redhead, she asked, "Did you already buy the tickets?"

"Um, yeah," Pyrrha chuckled awkwardly. Ruby was going to drop them off with Jaune the next day to hand off to Ren. _I guess… we'll have to tell Ruby to make sure someone else gets them. Blake, maybe? _The quiet girl would definitely enjoy the evening, if all else failed.

The thought of having to text Jaune about their abrupt failure stung a little, though. She had been so sure that they were already halfway there!

Suddenly, Nora leapt forward, grabbing Pyrrha's hands. "Oh my god, _you guys_ should go!"

The redhead frowned. "Who?"

"You and Jaune! Ruby said you two have been hanging out more lately! Why _is _that, anyway? You've never hung out a ton before, outside of like, Ren's birthday parties and stuff."

It was true- the redhead had never really spent a lot of time with Jaune before the past week, only ever seeing him whenever Nora planned a dinner with their close friends. Since Ren didn't usually enjoy outings like that - he much preferred smaller groups of people- the bubbly girl didn't force him to go through that often. Looking at it from the outside, it must've indeed looked bizarre that Pyrrha was hanging out with the blond as often as she had been.

"Oh, well, since he's also friends with Ruby, I've gotten to know him a bit more!" Pyrrha fibbed. "It's no big deal." Handing the other girl her sandwich, she added, "Let me know if rehearsal calms down and you wanna go, okay?"

Nora gave her a quick hug before running back into the main theatre hall, hollering at the music director to get the newly-worked-out effects cues for whatever scene they were working on.

Pyrrha trudged out of the theatre, thoroughly defeated as she typed a message to the group chat. When she tried to tell Jaune, however, she saw another message that crushed her hopes even further.

_Ren can't make it, _Jaune had typed sadly. _He's got some family thing._

As Pyrrha walked back into the back room of the gym, tossing her belongings into her locker, she couldn't help but mull over the events of the day. What could their next step be?

It was only later that evening after she threw herself into her workout that she realized she hadn't _turned down _Nora's suggestion. She blushed, then put it aside- it meant nothing, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment, let me know what you think!


	7. Day 7: Very Loud

**Day 7: Very Loud**

The day of the after-hours event, Pyrrha was working out her frustrations in the gym. Ruby's disappointed texts, along with Weiss' annoyed ones and Sun's complaining (and the fact that Blake kept threatening to mute the group chat, since it was too active) were haunting her. She felt so guilty, but there was no way to get Nora and Ren to go together to the event.

Her body moved on autopilot that day. However, even after she finished majority of her workout, she still had come up with nothing that could salvage the plan. It was only when she heard a chipper voice sing, "Hey, Pyrrha!" that she actually began paying attention to her surroundings once more. Between cool-down stretches, she turned around. Yang waved brightly at her from across the room, kickboxing gloves hanging around her wrist.

Approaching her, Yang reached into her duffel bag, retrieving a printed sheet of paper. "Ruby wanted me to give this to you!"

The redhead took it and sighed, shaking her head. It was the ticket to the event. "I tried my best to get Nora to come, but I don't think Ren's interested, either," she replied glumly.

Yang punched her playfully on the arm. "Not for those two, silly- for you!" When Pyrrha simply blinked at her, she added, "You and Jaune! You know, the awkward blond you've been hanging out with?"

"Wha- I know," Pyrrha sputtered, shaking her head. "I can't take these! Didn't Ruby buy these tickets?"

Yang crossed her arms, leaning to the side. "Well, not exactly," she chuckled. "Turns out that Sun bought them as a joke for Neptune _months _ago- the poor guy's terrified of water, so he thought that the incentive of wine would get Neptune to brave the aquarium at least, but it's a no-go." Before Pyrrha could protest, Yang skipped off back to the exit. "Someone needs to use them! I've gotta head to class- enjoy your… adventure! And don't bother asking Ruby or Weiss, everyone's busy," she added quickly before ducking out, leaving a befuddled Pyrrha, tickets in hand.

She didn't want to _waste _the tickets, but a part of her still felt guilty. Still, after a quick message to Jaune, a hurried shower, and a rushed job to get ready for a night out, Pyrrha found herself standing in front of Vale's local aquarium. At her side was the enthusiastic blond, the man antsy as the queue moved up ever-so slowly. "This is _awesome,_" he cheered. "It sucks Ren and Nora aren't here, but honestly, I've been dying to see their new rescued beluga exhibit! It's gonna be so cute." He sighed dreamily, then turned back to Pyrrha. "Are we lucky or what?!"

"Yeah," she chuckled, although Pyrrha herself was still utterly confused. "I'm surprised they didn't give the tickets to Blake in the end- Sun would gladly go with her."

"She does really like tuna," Jaune murmured thoughtfully, drawing a snort from the redhead.

But soon, they were allowed entry, and the event began. The guilt quickly abated, letting Pyrrha enjoy the magic in the air, despite seeing the sickeningly-affectionate couples around her everywhere. The atmosphere lovely- a myriad of swimming lights and colours were both projected on the walls, and displayed by the intricate and breathtaking exhibits. Pyrrha was more than happy to accompany Jaune everywhere, letting the blond act like a child as he made funny faces to impersonate the fish, laughing as he enjoyed the food.

There were a surprising amount of people around, though. Soon, she was losing him in the crowd, only finding him again after playing one particular strength-testing game (which Pyrrha demolished, much to Jaune's shock and awe- "I _am _a personal trainer," she chuckled embarrassedly when they handed her an otter plush as a prize) Pyrrha suddenly found a warm hand gripping onto her sleeve.

She blushed, avoiding his gaze as she grabbed his arm, then slipped her hand down to hold onto his. "Don't get lost again," she scolded lightly, pulling him along the beautiful tunnels of tropical fish. Although she didn't look at his face for almost the rest of the night, judging by how warm his hand was, she knew he was blushing, too. She let him keep the otter. It was sort of cute, seeing him hug it close to his heart.


	8. Day 8: Shoes

**Day 8: Shoes**

Jaune walked her to the bus stop that night after the event, watching until her bus left before he headed to his own stop. It was sweet of him.

Despite the late night, she still opened her eyes at 6 AM, ready for her own personal morning workout before heading off to work. She was grateful to have that time to herself. There were a couple of things she needed to parse together, and she just didn't know where to even begin. As she blended herself a smoothie, her thoughts drifted off to the surprising root of her concerns: Jaune.

Pyrrha had enjoyed the night at the aquarium. It had been incredible- the wine and food had been absolutely delicious; the exhibits, absolutely magical. Although Nora had first wanted to go with her, Pyrrha knew that if she had indeed gone with her best friend, the experience would've been very different- Nora would've zipped around each exhibit, enough energy in her to put a toddler to shame. Jaune, on the other hand, had been vibrant and enthusiastic, but never too much so. He moved fluidly with her, pointed things out and allowing her to take her time. Outside of athletics, Pyrrha tended to move slowly, carefully- his slow tempo, witty banter and gentleness had been wonderful.

But as she thought further on the matter, she couldn't help but flush, her hands heating up at the memory of his touch. He hadn't let go of her hand for most of the night- thank goodness she was fairly ambidextrous, she hadn't gotten use of her right hand back after initially grabbing hold of him- and she hadn't even tried to pull away. What did that mean? _Do I like him?_

There was no way. Jaune was just Ren's friend whose schedule had never really lined up much with theirs in college. He was just that guy who would sit on the other side of the table, with Ren and Nora between him and the redhead. And, even when they had graduated and Jaune's schedule finally matched up more with her own, it had already felt too late, too weird, to try and form a friendship.

And yet, over the past week, it felt as if they had been friends all of their lives. How had he crept into her daily schedule so easily? _Is this how Ren and Nora became so close? Just… naturally?_

She knew for a fact that she'd see the blond again tomorrow- he had assured her as much sweetly when her bus had finally arrived last night- but the realization that she wasn't seeing him that day at all sort of… stung.

_Maybe I'm just projecting onto him. I haven't dated in forever…_

She didn't have more time to ponder this as she heard a key click into the lock of her front door. "Hey, Nora," she called. Her best friend was the only one who had the spare key of her apartment, after all.

Just as expected, Nora's bright, chipper voice called, "Pyrrha, get a load of these!" Suddenly, standing in front of Pyrrha as the girl pulled herself upright was Nora, clad in a bright black and green _Little Shop _shirt for HTC's cast and crew and matching neon green sneakers. "I'm _so _ready for the show!"

"It looks awesome," Pyrrha chuckled, examining the logo carefully. Audrey II's silhouette was cast in shadow across a dripping logo. _If you didn't know it's a horny alien plant, it might even look scary, _Pyrrha thought wryly to herself. _Neo did a good job._

"So," Nora asked, "how was the night?" She kept glancing around, as if expecting someone else to pop up in the studio.

"It was fun. I wish you and Ren had been able to go, you would've loved it."

"Meh, we have next time!"

They shared a companionable silence. Then, Pyrrha asked the lingering question on her mind. "Nora, why did you move in with Ren?"

Nora scoffed. "Um, because why _wouldn't _I, silly? We've been together forever, I can't even imagine life without him." Suddenly, the girl sat upright, muttering, "O-oh, but we're not like… together-together or anything." She looked away suspiciously.

Pyrrha frowned. "Um… okay. Do you… love him?"

"Pfft, of course!" That was said without hesitation. "I love _you, _too!"

"No, not- nevermind." W_hy aren't you 'together-together'? I just don't get it._

Jaune's face flashed in her mind. She smiled, despite herself. _Well, I guess that's why we're on the case._


	9. Day 9: Nothing

**Day 9: Nothing**

"Okay, here's the next plan," Ruby explained, determined.

Pyrrha could hear crinkling on the younger's end- probably her flipping through the pages of her ridiculous binder. The redhead chuckled as she unpacked her bag, balancing her phone between her shoulder and ear. "Ruby, you never told me- why did you decide to get them together _now?_" The question had been bothering her for quite a while now. This month was undoubtedly Nora's busiest in the season, due to the fast-approaching show. Pyrrha knew that the girl wasn't even talking to Ren much these days- she kept receiving texts from the girl the moment she came home, saying that she was going to bed. Rehearsal and prep was exhausting. "Dress and tech rehearsals are almost here. Is something happening at the end of the month to make the deadline?"

She heard the girl huff impatiently on the other end. "Pyrrha, am I sensing that you don't trust me?" Ruby teased.

"It's not that," Pyrrha laughed, opening up her laptop to finish up a few emails, along with a meal plan for a new client to finish up. "It's just that, I think waiting till after the show might be better-"

"Nope."

"But-"

"Nope."

"Don't you think-"

"Nope. Just trust me, Pyrrha."

She sighed. "Alright," she finally conceded. Ruby was always far too stubborn to be argued with. "What did you want to try?"

"Trivia night!" the girl chirped excitedly on the other end.

Pyrrha frowned. "Well… we do that _every _month." It was true- their favourite dive bar in the area, _Crow Bar, _liked to host boys-versus-girls-versus-others trivia night once a month. Those evenings were one of the few occasions Pyrrha allowed herself to drink without worrying about any repercussions. It was always far too rowdy of an affair to be sober during them, anyways. "What's so special this time?"

She heard Ruby tsk in the background. "There's a _doubles _tournament, Pyrrha! Winners get free drinks _on top _of bragging rights!"

The redhead winced at the thought. Was she really going to have to look Ren in the eyes and tell him to team up with Nora, of all people, for trivia? While she adored her best friend more than anything- she honestly couldn't even imagine life without Nora by her side- Nora's usual contribution to their monthly team was to rile up the other teams and shout false answers to trick people. It was usually Pyrrha, Weiss and Blake who were in charge of actually figuring out the answers for their squad. Halfway through, they'd lose Nora after she'd go pick up another pitcher, and… yeah, it was never pretty. Hilarious, but not pretty.

"Well," Pyrrha murmured, "the topic isn't exactly _romantic _usually…"

"Ooh, but this week it is!" Ruby practically squealed. "Yang talked to Fox to secretly add a category of romantic stuff, and he agreed."

Instantly, the redhead sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose. If _Fox _was involved… god, it was going to be a mess. The boy was hilarious, but he wasn't exactly subtle. If Ren didn't get up and leave, utterly scandalized, they could probably count it as a win. "Alright, then," she agreed at last. "Who else is coming?"

"Yang and me, Sun's bringing Blake, I heard that Neptune's been trying to convince Weiss to join, but she's refusing since he's not even involved in our plan and so we can't spy with him around, and you and Jaune!"

The thought of bringing the blond made Pyrrha's heart leap for a moment, but just as quickly as her hopes rose, they were crushed again. "Jaune never shows up to them," she said ruefully. "Otherwise, I'd probably know him better by now."

"But he'll show up to this one, or I'll hunt him down and _make _him show up!" came the cheery response. Suddenly, she added, "Wait, you're getting along, right? I know we definitely stuck you together, and it wasn't exactly your choice, but-"

"He's fine, Ruby," Pyrrha chuckled. "He's sweet."

"Yup!" She could just imagine Ruby beaming. "I knew you two would be a good match. You like taking care of people, and Jaune's- well, he's kind of a handful."

That made the redhead laugh aloud. "I don't mind, it's been fun. I just wish we were better at getting Nora and Ren to actually meet up during the day."

"Pfft it's all good," she heard the younger wave off the concern. "We've still got time."

_For what?_

"See you later!" And with that, Pyrrha was left looking at her emails, her workspace eerily silent once more.

_Well, hopefully this plan will give us more results than the last two. _Regardless, she felt a pit of excitement bubble up within her. This would be fun.


	10. Day 10: Anywhere in the World

**Day 10: Anywhere in the World**

Jaune's face paled slightly at the mention of going to trivia night. "Pyrrha, I'm… um…" He glanced around, checking to see if anyone was in sight. Neptune was busy at the counter, but other than that, there wasn't anyone in earshot. Jaune leaned over the bar where Pyrrha was seated, sighing guiltily. "Do we have to?"

"Ruby thinks it's a great idea," Pyrrha said gently, concern welling up in her heart. It was clear the blond wasn't super excited about heading to_ Crow Bar_ the following day.

He wiped the counter quickly after setting down her latte in front of her, biting his lip, nervous. "I guess… it could be fun…"

"It will be, Jaune. Don't worry!" She winked suddenly (although where she found the gall to do it, she'd never know) and added, "I'm pretty good at trivia, you know. You just distract the other teams."

Hearing that, the blond's face broke out into a tiny smile. "Now that, I can do," he agreed, amused. "Alright, I'll message Ren!"

She beamed back, sipping her latte quietly as she watched the boy text Ren before making a drink for the next customer. Soon, he had wandered back over across from her, leaning over the counter. "So. I wanted to ask- how did you meet Nora anyways? You know my story with Ren."

Pyrrha chuckled, holding onto her cup with both hands. It was warm, comforting between her palms. She smiled at her reflection in the liquid, gaze clouding in nostalgia. "We were roommates in first year," Pyrrha said simply. "We didn't talk much at first, mostly since I was always busy and at the field- but one day I had this psychology assignment that I needed someone's help for, and so I asked her, since my friends were in a different dorm and it was late. Nora stayed up with me until… what, 4 AM?"

"Wow," Jaune murmured, "that's impressive. So you met Ren through her?"

"Yup! Although I've never really gotten my schedule to line up with both of them, though, so usually I just see Nora. We've never gone more than a week without seeing each other ever since, to be honest."

"You guys are close." His tone was fond, kind.

She brought the cup to her lips with a happy smile. "We are," she beamed back. "She's the best friend I've ever had."

Of course, the sweet moment was broken in an instant when Neptune called out, "Jaune, it's payday! Don't forget, dude!"

"I got it," Jaune laughed, rolling his eyes at Neptune's silly little dance behind the till.

"How much more do you need to save now?" the other asked.

That made him grin widely, eyes shining in excitement. "Just a little bit more! The tickets are all booked," he announced proudly.

"Nice, dude," Neptune grinned, high-fiving him.

"What's that for?" Pyrrha asked once Neptune was engaged with another customer.

Jaune ran his fingers through his hair sheepishly. "I, uh, wanna go backpacking," he explained. "I never got to go during college, but my job right now is flexible enough that I could do it, so I want to get it done before I end up with a stable job that will tie me down somewhere."

"Really? That's amazing!" Pyrrha leaned forward, intrigued at this revelation. "So- where did you want to go?"

"Well," the blond explained, "I grew up in Mistral, so I was thinking… maybe Vacuo?"

Pyrrha winced. "Vacuo isn't exactly the _safest _location…"

"And that's what traveller's insurance is for!" he quipped brightly. "Anyways, I'm bringing nothing of value other than my passport and my computer, which isn't that good anyways. But I've gotta do work somehow, right?"

"That still would be a decent amount of money," Pyrrha murmured, calculating everything in her mind. "Do you have another job?"

To her surprise, the blond did- as he launched into a heated explanation on his job editing for an online newspaper, Pyrrha felt something in her shift. Jaune's trip was planned in just over a month, and then he'd be gone for two months after that. It was a strange thought, but it suddenly struck Pyrrha, surprisingly hard.

They only had twenty days left to get Nora and Ren together. Then, coming to _A Simple Bean _like this during her break wouldn't really be feasible anymore. The thought was a little lonely.


	11. Stars

**Day 11: Stars**

Trivia night at _Crow Bar _was an absolute mess, as always.

People sat on every available surface, servers carrying tray after tray of drinks out to the eager, awaiting crowd. The dimly lit room boomed with life as people chatted and got to know one another, clinking glasses together to celebrate the end of another long workday.

Pyrrha ushered Jaune inside, grabbing a pen and an answer sheet from by the door. Settling them into a seat, she waved towards Velvet, one of the usual servers. "Pyrrha! The usual?" the chirpy brunette asked.

Pyrrha nodded, and gestured towards Jaune. "What would you like?"

The blond pointed at the first drink on the menu without even looking at it. It was certainly odd, but Pyrrha didn't ask. "By the way, have you seen Nora and Ren? They should be here."

Velvet shook her head. "They haven't come in yet. We still have some time, though!"

Soon, they had their drinks, and Coco, the proprietress, was dimming the lights and putting the trivia questions onscreen. People instantly began to shout and cheer. Pyrrha laughed and clapped her hands delightedly along with the music as the questions began. As she sipped her drink, she glanced around, noticing two distinctly concerning things:

1\. Everyone on their team was present, but Nora and Ren were nowhere to be seen.

2\. Jaune was having a staring contest with his drink, and somehow appeared to be losing?

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. "Rehearsal's running late, and Ren's with his parents tonight. Can't make it, sorry," she read aloud, heart sinking.

Jaune gawped at her, blinking slowly. Suddenly, he leaned back, chugging his entire drink as the first question popped up onscreen. "Well, our mission's busted," he groaned, collapsing onto table.

She frowned, looking plaintively up at Ruby, who winked at her. Sending Nora's update to the chat, she sighed, staring up at the screen. The question was asking about Mountain Glenn's founding, and she could hear the angry scribbling of pens to paper all around her. "Jaune, do you know-"

Even in the darkened room, she could see his face was beet-red. It had barely been three minutes, and already, his eyes were a little glazed over. "Jaune," she asked gingerly, "are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"…Are you not good with liquor, Jaune?"

The man flushed an even darker red, if that were humanly possible. "I- I- no," he pouted dejectedly.

"But you were totally fine in the aquarium!"

"That's because it was only little bits at a time!" he protested.

"Then why did you chug it-"

"I panicked!" He sighed. "I- I don't know what I was thinking." He stood up suddenly, then careened around, struggling to regain his balance.

Instantly, bills were paid, and Pyrrha wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Let's sober you up, okay?" she said kindly, steering him towards the door.

Soon, they were outside. She murmured, "Let's get you to the station. You have your pass?" The train station that would take him home was at the very end of the street, along with a bus stop to bring Pyrrha home.

Woozily, the man raised his wallet. "Didn't lose it!"

She giggled, guiding him down the sidewalk. They had left at an odd time- it was too late for ordinary workers to be out and about, and all the night owls were still in the bars and pubs, so they were able to enjoy the journey in silence. Suddenly, Jaune paused, halting Pyrrha as well. She frowned. "What's wrong?" His eyes were aimed upwards, though, and so she glanced up, following his gaze.

The moon wasn't out, but it was a clear night- clear enough to spot stars amidst the blare of streetlights and shining storefronts. She let out a slow, even breath, taking in the tiny twinkling lights sparkling in the distance. At her side, Jaune pulled away from her, zipping up his jacket higher against the evening's chill. Pyrrha only dragged her eyes away from the sky when she felt his hands pull at her own jacket- her eyes immediately flashed over to him, but she held still in surprise as he quietly buttoned up her pea coat higher. His fingers moved deftly, clearly having sobered up from the walk.

He was still a little red, though. She didn't point it out, but the rest of their journey to the station was spent with a few inches between them, the space between electrified.


	12. Out of Control

**Day 12: Out of Control**

"I swear, if _someone _doesn't figure out when exactly this dang dentist is supposed to come in, I am going to lose my mind," Nora screeched in the booth, gripping the edge of the table with such strength that Pyrrha could almost _hear _it cracking in her hands.

"So," the redhead attempted quietly, "I guess last night's late rehearsal didn't go so well?"

Nora spun around in her office chair, screeching incoherently at the interruption. By her side, Emerald winced and scooted away, muttering bitterly into her own headset. The orange-haired girl paid the other techie no mind, leaping out of her seat to envelop Pyrrha in a crushing hug. "Pyrrha, it's all _awful," _she sobbed dramatically, sliding down Pyrrha's body to curl around her legs.

Chuckling, the redhead pulled Nora back to her feet, then held up the bag in her hand. "Awful enough that pancakes won't help?"

Nora gasped. "You _didn't _bring me breakfast to-go."

"Ooh, but I did," Pyrrha laughed, pulling out a takeout container with pancakes and eggs.

Nora's eyes lit up at the food, and she immediately pressed a button on her headset. "I'm going for a bit, call me when the music cues are figured out!"

Emerald just waved her hand bitterly, muttering, "Why isn't Merc ever useful like that?"

Nora happily looped her arm through Pyrrha's and guided her out of the booth to their back office. "The stagehands need more time in a ton of the scene changes, so the pit needs to figure out some extra stuff, but we already timed everything for mics and lighting and… ugh. It's gross."

As they settled into their chairs, Nora dug in, Pyrrha leaning on a propped-up hand and watching her fondly. "Will you guys be ready for the shows?" Pyrrha asked gently.

Nora immediately blew a raspberry at her. "Ready? Of _course _we'll be ready. We just need to go to hell and back first, and then we're never going to sleep, and I mean if we don't finish on time, it's not like it's bad, right?" Her eyes began to glaze over, face darkening somberly as she realized the implications of what she was saying. "We'll just become the laughingstocks of the community, not even able to put on one show without screwing everything up, and HTC will be shut down forever!" She whimpered a little, hanging her head low as she stuffed her face with another pancake slice.

The redhead patted her friend on the back knowingly. "Just eat. It will give you energy," she teased.

Nora sighed, but kept eating anyways.

_Now or never, I guess. _As Pyrrha pulled out two bottles smoothies for them, she questioned innocently, "So, how's Ren's family? You said something was happening last night?"

Nora nodded, slurping up half an egg with little finesse. "Yeah. I went to visit after we were done here. His dad threw out his back, so he needed help setting up the shop for the next morning and getting upstairs to the futon." She sipped on her smoothie briefly, clearing her throat. "It's all good though. He's okay! But poor An was worried like heck. I brought them some ice packs and painkillers. Li's a bit too old to be picking crates like that up, he should've just called me!" At this, she flexed one arm, showing off impressive muscles in her lean arms.

"We missed you at trivia night, but I'm glad everyone's okay," Pyrrha sighed at last. Although their plan hadn't exactly worked out, she couldn't help but cheer internally- after all, how sweet was it that Nora had gone to visit his parents? _How are they not married yet? They act like it!_

"Lies!" Suddenly, Nora leaned in, raising a curious brow. "You didn't miss us, I heard that you didn't even _stay _past the first twenty minutes-"

"Jaune got sick!" Pyrrha defended, appalled. "It wasn't a choice-"

"Ooh, so you skipped out on trivia night to help him home? He's never been a good drinker, I can see that." Nora shot her a wink, and Pyrrha blushed reflexively. "Good stuff."

"I- what even, Nora," she huffed, crossing her arms. "Jaune got too drunk. I walked him to the station."

"I'm not saying anything," she sang, finishing her meal with gusto. The blush didn't die down on Pyrrha's face the whole time.


	13. Day 13: Forgotten

**Day 13: Forgotten**

"Hey there, buddy," she heard Jaune murmur over the phone. She leaned in across the counter, internally thanking the heavens that _A Simple Bean _was miraculously empty enough to make a phone call, unlike its usual din. However, hearing Ren's reply over the buzzing of the espresso machine next to her seat still proved to be difficult.

At least, until Jaune pulled the phone away from his ear, pouty and heartbroken. "He told me 'not to call him at work' and then he hung up on me!" he whined, stamping a foot childishly.

Pyrrha snorted at his behaviour. "Classic Ren." With her own phone, she sent the boy a quick message instead. "Nora's been pretty stressed at work. Seeing you would probably make it a bit better. Wanna visit?"

He read it after a few minutes, sending her a small thumbs-up. Pyrrha showed her screen to Jaune victoriously, giggling when the man cried, "Oh, so talking to me is bad, but texting _you _is _totally okay, _alright Ren. I see how it is. Ten years of friendship mean nothing. Whatever, I'm not mad."

"Jaune, it's okay," she laughed, "this is good! He responded only because I mentioned Nora!"

At that realization, the blond lit up. "Oh wow. Wait. Do you think he's heading over?"

"Only one way to find out, right?"

Immediately, he pulled off his apron, waving to Neptune, who was perched on a stool scrolling on his phone. "I'll be back eventually!" he cried.

"Wait dude, you can't just leave me-"

"I can and I will, it'll be my break!"

But Jaune paid him no mind, transferring Pyrrha's drink to a to-go cup before grabbing his jacket. "Let's go scope out the theatre!" he decided evilly.

Pyrrha simply grinned back. "I thought you'd never ask."

"You're a bunch of creepy high schoolers!" Neptune yelled bitterly after them, but they paid him no heed.

After Pyrrha had reported Nora's visit to Ren's family, Ruby had squealed and declared the next phase of the plan: get Ren to reciprocate and visit Nora when she was stressed at work.

Which is why Pyrrha and Jaune found themselves crouching behind two of the potted plants in HTC's lobby. Leo, the poor man, watched them nervously. "Um… may I help you?"

"Oh, don't mind us, Leo!" Pyrrha chirped breezily. "Everything's fine."

"Pyrrha," Jaune hissed, "could you ask him not to keep looking at us? He'll blow our cover!"

The blond spoke loudly enough for the man to hear, so Pyrrha cast him an apologetic look. The man behind the counter sighed and returned meekly to his paperwork, allowing the two spies some privacy.

"Oh, there he is!" Jaune cried excitedly. Pyrrha shushed him quickly, hiding further behind the large ficus.

With a blank expression, Ren nodded towards Leo and strode into the back of the theatre. Stealthily, the duo followed him, hiding around the corner. For some reason, the quiet man didn't even go into the theatre proper- instead, he walked into the techie's room for a moment, shuffled around in there, then left. Pyrrha and Jaune hid behind a lamp, but thankfully the other man didn't see them as he walked out.

In his wake, they crept into the office Ren had vacated. It looked just as cluttered and wild as usual- however, on Nora's desk, there was a little homemade boxed lunch, along with a thermos of tea.

"That's _adorable,_" Pyrrha gushed, holding her hands against her heart.

Jaune grinned goofily. "Aw. And he always acts like he's indifferent."

"No he doesn't," she protested, waving goodbye to Leo as they headed out the door. "If he didn't care, he wouldn't still be with her!"

"Yeah, but even if he _acts _like it, they're still not… y'know, _together._"

But something niggled at the back of Pyrrha's mind as they walked down the street back towards the café. Why would Ren just up and leave so quickly in order to check on Nora?

_She must've been telling him that the show was going alright. She was always better at opening up to me about little complaints... He must've been worried._

But still, the thought of his sweet act of kindness lingered on. There was something she was missing. Ren had always been like that towards Nora, ever since she had met the man. So what would it take for them to finally take that last step and end up together?


	14. Home

**Day 14: Home**

The next day found Nora curled up on her couch, Pyrrha fussing about her in a motherly fashion. HTC was taking a rest day, allowing the orange-haired woman to just sit back and relax for the first time in weeks. So, Pyrrha had taken the opportunity to reschedule her two in-person appointments, conducting everything through emails and focusing on getting new dietary and workout plans sorted for her clients, while invading Nora and Ren's cozy flat.

"Nora, drink your tea," she urged from the kitchen, spatula in hand. The pancakes on the griddle sizzled behind her, the redhead leaning against the countertop as she watched her friend worriedly. Nora merely grumbled in response, burrowing further into her blankets.

Pyrrha frowned. It was _so _utterly rare to see Nora truly exhausted like this- the girl was famous for being able to keep going no matter what. The production was really taking a toll on her.

Suddenly, the door opened up. "I'm home," Ren's voice emerged from the entrance. "Nora?"

"Hello!" Pyrrha sang, waving when he turned the corner and came into view. She pointed meekly at the puddle of blankets that was currently Nora Valkyrie. "She's over there, Ren. Did work end early today?"

"We sold out," the quiet man murmured, shrugging off his jacket neatly. "There's a wedding happening nearby, and apparently the florists they hired screwed up. The wedding planner came over and bought most of our flowering stock."

"That's amazing!" Pyrrha gushed, clapping her hands. "So you get a break now?"

He nodded, slipped his shoes off, and walked over to join her in the kitchen. "Your work is done already?"

As she explained her situation brightly to her friend, she heard another voice from the foyer call, "Ren, is it cool if I leave my stuff here?"

Pyrrha's heart leapt into her throat, and she spun on her heel to see the figure standing by the entrance. Jaune was placing his bag down by the coatrack. When the blond straightened up and saw Pyrrha, he immediately froze. "Oh- hey, Pyrrha! Didn't know you were here."

"Took a bit of a day off. Nora needed some company," she explained brightly. Holding up the spatula, she offered, "Pancakes?"

Instantly, the blond rolled his eyes. "Of _course _it's pancakes." Walking past the lump which was Nora, he teased, "Maybe I should eat them all-"

In a flash of movement, Nora stuck her head out and bared her teeth at him. Jaune backed away, but his smile didn't falter- he had been friends with Ren for years, after all. Instead, he began setting up the coffee maker.

"Day off for you, too?" Pyrrha asked.

He shrugged. "Neptune took my shift- there's a new girl, Ilia, in the morning. He's decided he's going to win her over."

The redhead snorted. "Is she…?"

Jaune sighed. "When we were training her yesterday, Blake was around, and she _wouldn't stop staring at her._"

The two of them sighed, amused, in unison. Leave it to Neptune to bark up the wrong tree.

Suddenly, Nora's voice echoed from over the couch, "So… you two are pretty good friends now, huh?"

Pyrrha blinked at her, glancing over to Jaune. "I… suppose."

Jaune was similarly perplexed. "I'd say we are," he replied thoughtfully.

"You never really hung out before."

As Ren flipped the final pancake on the griddle onto the towering stack they had created, he murmured, "Better late than never, I suppose."

While the words themselves were innocuous enough, as he picked up the plate and walked away, there was a small quirk to his lips that left both the redhead and blond absolutely flabbergasted.

They could only watch, speechless, as Ren set the plate onto the low coffee table by the couch. With a few deft pulls to Nora's blankets, he wrapped her up like a cocoon and propped her onto the floor so she could eat at the table without needing to leave the warmth. Then, he grabbed everyone their plates and cutlery, setting up the table casually. When he was all done, he simply glanced over his shoulder at the shocked duo in the kitchen. "Bring the coffee," he instructed, deadpan.

That broke them out of their spell. With red faces, the duo grabbed three cups (Nora wasn't allowed coffee, of course) and the syrup, settling down across from one another. The moment Pyrrha sat down next to Nora, the bundled girl flopped over onto her shoulder, inhaling her pancakes quietly.

But Pyrrha was distracted throughout the meal- not by Nora, nor Jaune, the blond dropping his food pathetically-often. Instead, she focused on Ren.

Every time Nora's plate was emptying, he'd put more food on it. Anytime her teacup drained dry, he'd automatically refill it without batting an eye. While he didn't even look at her throughout the meal, he moved around her actions and needs in a way that was _so fluid, _and Pyrrha just… didn't know what they were doing there anymore.


	15. Day 15: Witness

**Day 15: Witness**

"Ruby? What're you doing here?"

When the younger girl instinctively flinched upon hearing her name, Pyrrha propped a hand on her hip, raising an amused brow. She had seen the girl staring up at her from over the top of her large laptop, furiously typing away as Pyrrha sipped her coffee- but the moment they had made eye contact, the girl had hunched back down, hiding away. Intrigued, Pyrrha had left her coffee on the counter for Jaune to watch over, wandering over to her friend.

"Just… marking homework, nothing big!" Ruby chuckled guiltily. She was dressed in dark colours, and was practically blending into the dark upholstery of the booth she had settled into.

Pyrrha crossed her arms, unmoved. "Um… Ruby, you work in an animal shelter."

"Training puppies is hard work!" the girl shrilled. "There's paperwork! Look!" Frantically pressing buttons, the girl eventually spun her computer around, showing a page full of animal photos.

"What- 'Ice Queen', 'Little-Cute-Boy-Oz'-"

"Just 'Oz' for short," Ruby beamed.

Pyrrha could only shake her head, absolutely befuddled. "I… who is naming these poor animals?" Each of the silly names onscreen stood underneath a photograph of the creature themselves.

Ruby giggled evilly. "I just describe them to my Uncle Qrow, and he names them," she explained.

"The drunk one?"

"He's not _that _drunk-"

"He named our dog "Jimothy"-"

"General James Ironwood was a wonderful old doggo and you shall _not _ignore his full name, only Qrow can," Ruby insisted haughtily. She had always had a weird fondness for the odd senior dog they had eventually adopted as a whole friend-group during college. Before Pyrrha could press on, the other girl added, "So, Pyrrha. I didn't know that you came here often."

Pyrrha shrugged, taking a look back over her shoulder at Jaune. The blond was carefully making some latte art, it seemed- he had his tongue stuck out slightly, brow furrowed in concentration as he poured steamed milk into a cup for an awaiting customer. "It's near work," she explained simply, "and we need to meet _somewhere _to discuss _your _little schemes-" But when she turned back to Ruby, the younger was wearing the most conniving grin. "Alright, what's that look supposed to mean?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all, Pyrrha. I'm just surprised- I haven't even sent you my next scheme yet, and you're still here."

"It's just a habit now!"

"Okay, okay," Ruby chuckled. Slurping up the rest of her frappe noisily, the younger packed up her laptop and stood. She walked over, wrapping an arm around Pyrrha's shoulders, holding an arm out in front of her as if showing her a grand sight. "I'm just happy that you and Jaune are finally friends. I always knew it- you'd just need to hang out a few times, and then you'd be like, 'wow, this Jaune guy is _pretty _cool'."

Pyrrha chuckled uneasily as Jaune's actions caught her eye, the blond staring forlornly at the cup he was working on. The art didn't turn out well, it seemed. "I… wouldn't say 'cool', but…"

"Oh, you know what I mean." Slinging her bag over her shoulders, Ruby scurried to the door. "I'll see you around!"

The redhead shook her head wryly, walking back over to where the blond had been guarding her coffee. "What was that about?" Jaune asked, wiping his hands on a dishcloth.

"If only I knew," she murmured. Barely two moments after she sat back down, however, her phone began to buzz. Ruby had sent her a few different potential plans for the next few days. "Oh. Well, this at least answers our questions about what's next!"

As they scrolled through the potential plans- majority of them just weren't feasible, with Nora being busy at HTC and Ren picking up some more shifts to help out his family just in case his father's back became an issue again- Pyrrha found their conversation quickly drifting away from Ren and Nora, and instead going to more casual, mundane topics. Jaune pulled out a brochure for his backpacking adventure to Vacuo, and they quickly began discussing all of the little things he'd have to try over there.

And yet, Pyrrha didn't feel guilty about it. Jaune was a good friend. How their relationship had developed so quickly, she didn't know, but she was more than happy to have him in her life now.


	16. Day 16: Small Things

**Day 16: Small Things**

"I swear, I've got it in here somewhere," Jaune muttered, throwing his backpack haphazardly onto his couch. Pyrrha chuckled, stepping warily into the living room of his teeny apartment. Her heart jumped when she heard a crash from his kitchen, but when he called back, "I'm okay!" she stayed put.

She sighed, pressing a hand against her chest. _Why am I so nervous? _She couldn't explain why her heartbeat was racing at a thousand miles a minute. It was just Jaune's flat, after all.

When she had mentioned how one of her favourite clients had a child who was really into a comic book series, the blond had jumped up excitedly. "Oh, I have something you can give them!" he insisted. One thing led to another, and Pyrrha ended up meeting Jaune at the train station after work, joining him on his adventure to retrieve a collectible mug for the little girl.

She hadn't known what visiting Jaune would entail, but whatever she had been expecting, it certainly wasn't _this._

Numerous shelves and bookcases in the tiny living room were dedicated to comic books, action figures, and merchandise. Although the actual seating area and furniture was practically non-existent, consisting of just one beat-up couch and a small armchair in the center of the room, the focus of the room was clearly the large monitor in the corner, a tangle of wires and gaming consoles and controllers facing the couches. Posters and banners hung _everywhere. _

"You… like video games?" Pyrrha offered, lost as she heard another clang of pans from the kitchen.

"Yup!"

She suddenly heard muttered cursing, and that was enough- she entered the kitchen. It wasn't a _mess _in there, per say- it just didn't look very lived in, compared to the living room. "You don't cook often, do you?"

The blond jumped up and yelped as his head hit the top of the cupboard he was currently rummaging through. "Ow," he whimpered, rubbing the injury while still peering through his cabinet. "I live half the time off the leftover baked goods from the store, to be honest."

"Jaune, that isn't healthy," she immediately chided.

"I work in a store that has good bread, I'm sorry!"

"Jaune." She sighed, looking through another one of his opened cupboards. "Is this it?" She reached in, pulling out a mug decorated with the franchise in question.

Jaune's eyes lit up. "Ooh, there it is!" He took it from her, then immediately put himself to work washing it again. "Well, that's taken care of. I guess we should discuss the next plan?"

She opened her phone. "Apparently Weiss wants them to have a romantic home-cooked dinner. We can set that up as a surprise- maybe we should just tell them we're having another pancake party one night?"

"That sounds good! It was fun last time," he beamed. "And, at the very least, I can just help you with stuff- great at following instructions!" After a moment, he added casually, "By the way, would you like any coffee or anything?"

She straightened up a little, startled by the question. "Um… sure."

He flashed her a grin and set the mug to dry on the nearby dishrack, then turned to his coffee maker. Unlike the rest of the supplies in his kitchen, which were clearly second-hand, his setup for brewing coffee was quite new. He answered her surprised gaze with a chuckle. "I've been working at _A Simple Bean _since college, so of course I'd invest!"

She smiled, then leaned back against the counter, watching him work. It was soothing.

But, as he set everything up, she frowned, watching his movements. He set up a separate pour for her with a darker roast- her favourite. She knew he didn't drink it. Out of his fridge came almond milk. He didn't like almond milk. And every ten seconds, his eyes would dart up questioningly at her, breaking into a quick smile before glancing back down at his concoctions.

More than anything, her mind shot back to the pancake brunch with Ren, Nora and Jaune- to Ren, who had so effortlessly moved around Nora, never asking for anything in return.

When the coffee was finally ready, he pulled out an adorable cup for her. Seeing her smile, he cried triumphantly, "I knew you'd like it!"

Her heart fluttered.

The coffee was delicious.


	17. Day 17: Early Morning

**Day 17: Early Morning**

She could barely keep her eyes open. Although her cup of coffee with Jaune had only been in the early evening, she had found herself unable to sleep the night before. So many things kept running through her head, and the caffeine kick only served to exacerbate those thoughts. She had tossed and turned all night, leaving a cranky, weary redhead reluctantly shutting off her alarm that morning.

So, the run that morning was definitely needed. She prepped her bag for the day- of course, packing the cup for her client's daughter, so generously donated by Jaune- and set it by the front door. However, unlike her usual pattern of heading straight for the gym for her desired workout, Pyrrha laced up her shoes, shrugged on a warm hoodie, and headed out of her apartment with determination in her eyes and pump-up music already playing in her headphones.

_So. Next steps. _Her body settled into an easygoing rhythm, footsteps pounding the pavement providing a steady tempo for her brain to work. _We have about two weeks before the 30-day limit. So far, we haven't made much progress, but… do we really need to? They're already so happy together, whether they have a label or not… _She chewed her lip, rounding a corner absentmindedly. _Either way, I'll keep trying to get some answers out of them. _

Pyrrha couldn't help but sigh as she cut through the nearby Beacon University's campus grounds. The institute had lovely greenery, so anytime she needed to clear her head, she found herself jogging along its cobblestone paths and through its numerous gardens. _Well, we just need to focus on whatever dinner Weiss wants them to have. _Her mind drifted back to the plans Ruby had sent- they had included a giant list of not only menu items, but décor as well. _I'm sure I'll be able to pick everything up from the supermarket… and I might still have fairy lights from college somewhere. _

The campus was quite empty at that time, giving her free reign to explore the grounds. Soon, she had reached the end of Main Avenue, and re-entered the city easily enough. It was as if the moment she reached Vale once more, life had begun anew- all of the stores were opening up, blinds and shutters moving away to reveal wares and signs within. Each worker moved with a sort of sluggish sense of weariness in the early hour. Pyrrha revelled in it. There was something comforting in the fact that everyone else seemed just as fatigued as she, that life hadn't just been taking a toll upon her.

As she rounded another corner down a familiar street, she suddenly barrelled into a broad chest. Instantly, she pivoted aside to lessen the impact, but the damage was done- and, with a loud clatter and an ungainly yelp, a familiar blond tripped over his own feet and landed upon the pavement. She ran over to him, concern and embarrassment mingling painfully in her face. "Jaune!"

The blond righted himself, pushing to his knees. By his side was the chalkboard for _A Simple Bean. _She dusted off his shoulders and back, praying that he didn't look at her face- without any makeup, her cheeks were neon signs for her embarrassment. Helping him to his feet, she asked, "Are you okay? I'm sorry!"

The blond finally blinked and took stock of who it was. However, rather than being upset, his face broke out into an easy smile. "Pyrrha! I didn't expect to… _run into _you here."

And immediately, her concern washed away. "Oh, well, glad you're doing well, _Yang_," she teased, helping him right the sign by the storefront. "But, really though- I'm sorry. I should've been paying attention."

"It's fine, it's fine," Jaune replied, waving away her concern. "Oh, also!"

"Yeah?" She paused, leaning forward, anticipating what he'd say.

"Ren messaged me back! He and Nora are both free in three days, so we can host our little dinner party then." He winked coyly. "They don't suspect a thing!"

Pyrrha's heart fell momentarily. _…right. Ren and Nora._

Somehow, when she had seen him, she had forgotten all about the concerns she had been mulling over for just a second. Now, they were all back. They were friends _because _of Ren and Nora. Of course they would be the first things on Jaune's mind.


	18. Day 18: Warning

**Day 18: Warning**

A desperate cry for help from Nora the next day was more than enough to bring Pyrrha to the hardware store. What she was looking for, she wasn't quite sure- her friend had only left her vague messages littered throughout a field of crying emojis and a few videos of the orange-haired woman flitting between genuinely screaming and manic joy, but the redhead had parsed together that her friend needed equipment. So, there she was, strolling through aisles of different electrical and duct tape.

As she casually wandered through the store, her phone buzzed for the umpteenth time. Unsurprisingly, it was just Nora again- and, just as expected, she still wasn't being clear about what she needed from Pyrrha. The redhead chuckled and replied simply, "Look, I have to head back to work soon. What did you need?"

After a few more minutes of aimlessness, it was Emerald who finally messaged her, giving her a solid shopping list. Pyrrha chuckled and began grabbing everything she needed to drop off at HTC later, slyly grabbing a few items on Weiss' list for their romantic dinner plan while she was there.

Soon, she was headed back to the gym, arms laden with bags of tape and cords and an odd amount of zip-ties.

"…Are you murdering someone?"

Those words shook Pyrrha out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry?"

Standing at the crosswalk next to her was Blake. The quiet woman had sunglasses perched delicately upon her nose, and she carried a book in hand. The redhead relaxed, seeing the other girl. "Oh, hey, Blake. How are you? Where are you off to?"

"Finding a good place to read for my lunch break," she replied smoothly. Raising a brow, Blake murmured, "But I meant your stuff. Usually people only use that many zip-ties for kidnapping. I didn't realize that Ruby wanted abduction as part of-"

"No, no!" Pyrrha cried, laughing after a moment when she finally understood what the girl was saying. "No, Nora needed something for work- they're starting full tech and dress rehearsals at the theatre, but they wanted extra tape just in case."

"Ah." They began to walk across the street together, Blake asked, "So, how's the plan going?"

Pyrrha shrugged, a rueful smile on her face. "I wish I could say it was going better, but so far, we haven't had a ton of success." She sighed, stepping back onto the sidewalk wearily. "I'm not entirely sure what we're doing wrong, to be honest."

"Well," Blake murmured, "maybe you're looking at this wrong."

"How so?"

"Well," the somber woman contemplated aloud, "Nora and Ren have been together for so long that they understand each other pretty well. Have you ever thought that maybe they don't _want _their relationship to be messed with?"

Pyrrha paused in the street, murmuring a quiet apology when the man walking behind her had to sidestep her awkwardly in the middle of the sidewalk. "I… I mean, is it so bad that we want them to get together?" She jogged to catch up with the shorter girl.

"Not necessarily," Blake hummed, pausing by the door of a small bookstore, "but think about it. Maybe they're happy the way they are."

"…Is that why you didn't want to join in?"

Blake snorted, rolling her eyes. "Not really- I'm just used to seeing Ruby's harebrained schemes. They're always a little too ridiculous for me." And with that, the woman entered the store, the tinkling of the bell above the doorway the only thing left in her wake.

Pyrrha's mind was troubled as she continued along her way. _Maybe Blake's right, but… it won't hurt to try, right?_ Nora and Ren were so perfect together, after all.

By the time she reached the gym once more, her resolve was refreshed. _If nothing else, I'll be able to give the two of them a fun time to relax. That's worth something, too. _After all, she loved Nora and Ren. If Ruby's silly scheme could at least put a smile on their faces, that was worth it, right?


	19. Day 19: Walk Away

**Day 19: Walk Away**

"I'm so sorry I wasn't able to drop these all off yesterday," Pyrrha gushed worriedly, unloading rolls of tape and other supplies onto the desk in Nora's office. "Work ran late last night."

"Psh, it's all good," Nora scoffed, sorting through sticky notes attached to her script. "We were able to make do, but now, we'll be unstoppable!"

"I'm glad." She perched upon a nearby tabletop. "Everything else is going well?"

"Yup! Well, I mean," and the orange-haired girl turned and glowered at the door, "Scarlet needs to stop being a pain and missing that one cue, but-"

Sensing her friend was about to go into a rant, she sang, "Oh, I also brought you takeout!" Holding up a bag of takeout boxes, Pyrrha added, "I brought extra in case anyone else wanted some, too!"

Rather than leaping up to her excitedly, Nora instead reached into her own bag. She quickly retrieved a familiar-looking box. "Ren made me stuff for today," she replied embarrassedly, sticking her tongue out.

Pyrrha melted. "That's really sweet," she murmured meaningfully. "You… you're really lucky you found him, huh?"

At that, Nora's fingers paused over the page she was scanning, and pale blue eyes lifted to meet her own, warmth filling them as Nora's smile turned them into tiny crescent moons. In an unusually quiet voice, she cooed, "I am!"

_…Maybe this is my chance. _"Nora?"

"Yeah?" Still smiling gently, Nora turned back to her page, checking the time.

Mulling over her next words carefully, Pyrrha finally asked, "Have you ever thought of… settling down with Ren?"

At that, her best friend's face grew bright pink as she spluttered, pushing herself away from her work station so fast that she almost tipped over. "Wh-what are you talking about?" she squealed when she finally regained her balance. "We're not like, _together-_together or anything!" Her words spilled out of her lips anxiously, and she looked away as if guilty.

Pyrrha frowned, but before she could interrogate her friend, a familiar voice called, the director's voice called, "Places, everyone! Next run is starting in 10. Stage managers, get everything ready!"

Jumping on the opportunity to change the subject, Nora gushed, "I'm _so_ excited for this to be done!"

"Just a little while before opening night," Pyrrha soothed, patting the shorter woman on the back. "You can do it!"

Nora gave her a quick hug, gratitude and exuberant joy filling her face, but Pyrrha could see the weariness filling her eyes. _She's working so hard. The show's going to be amazing, huh?_

It was that thought that found Pyrrha walking at a brisk pace after work through the twilight covering Vale, towards a familiar flower shop. Each storefront she passed was winding down for the day- this corner of Vale was a sleepy little area, and most of the inhabitants were heading home soon.

However, when she pushed open the door of her destination, the interior was still brightly-lit and vibrant with greenery. A cheery, gentle voice from the back called, "Be right out!" In a few moments, Pyrrha was met with the comforting smile of An Ren, Ren's mother. "Oh, Pyrrha? What are you doing here? How are you doing?" The friendly older woman ushered her quickly through flower-filled aisles to the back room of the store. Before the redhead could even blink, she was holding a cup of oolong tea, sitting on a cozy pillow on the floor around the central table.

An smiled tenderly. "Sweetheart, what brings you here?"

With a start, Pyrrha remembered what had brought her over to begin with. Ren's parents always treated her so sweetly due to her friendship with Nora, ever since she had first met the kind duo during one winter holiday break during college. "Oh, I- I wanted to actually place an order," she confessed. "For Nora."

"Oh, you didn't need to come all the way here, Nora knows how to order with us easily!"

"No," she laughed, "I wanted to get her flowers as a gift for opening night."

An clapped her hands delightedly together. "Ah, for the show? Oh, that's _lovely,_" she cooed, immediately shuffling out of the room and returning with a small binder. Immediately, the woman began flipping through pages. "Take a look."

Pyrrha chuckled, quickly picking out a bouquet for her friend from the samples.

An giggled, eliciting a curious look from Pyrrha. The elder woman quickly explained, "Ren chose almost the same one for her. I'm so glad you all have each other."

The redhead couldn't stop the beam which burst out onto her face. _Ren bought her one, too? _The thought of watching Ren hand Nora a bouquet was absolutely heartwarming. _I can't wait to see it._


	20. Day 20: Supermarket

**Day 20: Supermarket**

_Oh no._

Pyrrha nearly dropped the jar in her hand, reeling from the wave of emotion that just washed over her. She had no idea how to react, hand still on her tiny shopping cart, eyes transfixed on Jaune's back as the blond double-checked the grocery list Weiss had sent them.

They had decided to go to the grocery store to pick up all of the supplies for Nora and Ren's dinner. Pyrrha, of course, had the keys to the duo's home (although that fact was more than enough to put Jaune in a sour mood, as he realized that Ren hadn't given _him _a spare key, much to Pyrrha's amusement).

"We'll cook everything, make it all nice and fancy," Jaune explained to no one in particular as they set up the candles they'd light for their friends later, "and then boom, Ren and Nora will _have _to get together!"

Pyrrha had simply laughed, rolling her eyes as she grabbed some shopping bags and headed towards the door. "C'mon, lover boy," she teased, "Let's go."

And he had protested jokingly but followed without complaint, and they had traded light banter and jokes and news on their personal lives as they walked together to the nearest supermarket. Jaune had held open the door for her, and she'd mockingly curtsied, and they'd both giggled as they both reached for small buggies and headed into the depths of the dairy section.

She hadn't expected him to half-jokingly grab some groceries for himself along the way, picking up a box of cereal, only to glance up at her and then mournfully replace it upon the shelf. "I know, it's not good for you. I'll find a healthier one, Miss Personal Trainer." She hadn't expected to be utterly floored as he picked up some healthier snacks, showing her, asking her if she liked his finds.

_Why does it matter to him if I like whatever he's buying? _

But then, as they walked through the pasta aisle and picked up the sauce and pasta, Jaune popped into the next aisle briefly, only returning with some more almond milk- which _definitely _wasn't on the menu for the night- and Pyrrha nearly dropped the tomato paste.

It was such a small gesture, but she couldn't look away. Jaune didn't notice her confusion. Instead, he simply asked, "Let's go?" And his voice was so natural and bright, and she _knew. _

_Oh my god. _Her face heated up, burning her skin from the inside out, heart hammering against her ribcage almost violently. She quickly dropped the jar into her cart and pushed it past him, bee-lining to the next aisle.

_I like him._

The realization itself was terrifying. She heard Jaune's footsteps patter after her, and as she turned the corner, she felt a warm hand settle on her back gently. "Hey, Pyrrha, are you okay?" Jaune murmured in her ear.

She nearly jumped at the contact, accidentally slamming the edge of her buggy into the side of the aisle with a loud clang. Face burning, she skittered into the aisle, grabbing ingredients as necessary without a word. She couldn't form a response, after all. How long had it been since she had harboured feelings towards anyone? And for _Jaune, _of all people? Someone whom she had known peripherally for _years?_

Why now?

But when the blond caught up with her and grabbed the cart out of her hands, asking, "Hey, what's wrong?" in the most caring, gentle voice, Pyrrha almost _melted. _

_…I've got it bad, don't I?_

She could only squeak out a quiet response, giving up the buggy in favour of grabbing the rest of the items as quickly as possible. She didn't know where to look- how could she ever make eye contact with him again?!

So, the rest of their trip was had in relative silence. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jaune's troubled expression as he cast worried glances her way, but she just couldn't bring herself to properly talk to him. Even by the time they returned to Nora and Ren's apartment, very few words had been exchanged.

Throughout the entire cooking process, Pyrrha felt like a zombie, her head floating in the clouds as she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that she had somehow fallen for one of her closest friends' best friends.

_He's just hanging out with me because of Ren. _And her heart plummeted into her shoes, only coming back to reality when Jaune's panicked voice cried, "Pyrrha, watch out!"

Suddenly, she was brought back to reality, seeing the boiling pot of pasta bubbling over, and smoke rising from the fish fillets they had been pan-searing.

As fate would have it, Ren walked through the front door at that moment, an hour earlier than they'd anticipated, looking at the array of unlit candles and the smoke rising from the stove with a weary grimace. "I'm… not gonna ask," the quiet man murmured, immediately stepping into the kitchen.

Pyrrha and Jaune ended up being fed by Ren that evening. And, when Nora came home, almost an hour _late _after rehearsal, she went straight to her bed and fell asleep. Pyrrha crept in to check in on her, but the orange-haired woman was fast asleep already, sprawled out on one of the two beds in the room she shared with Ren.

"What do I do, Nora?" she whispered, heart still fluttering in her chest as she pulled the blankets up around Nora's sleeping form.

This whole thing was supposed to be about getting Ren and Nora to realize their feelings for each other, but somehow, not only had their plan fallen apart that night, but now her two friends were the _furthest _things from her mind.

"How is she?" Jaune murmured from the door. Pyrrha's breath caught in her throat.

This shyness? This wasn't part of the plan.

…_I'm sorry, Ruby. Today's plan was kind of a failure._

But Jaune reached for her hand to guide her out of Nora's room quietly, and Pyrrha's thoughts could no longer focus on anything else.


	21. Day 21: Everybody

**Day 21: Everybody**

"I just…" Pyrrha was at a loss for words. Even across the counter, hands cupped around her latte quietly, she couldn't find herself being able to make eye contact with Jaune.

Even without looking, though, she could feel his concerned gaze resting upon her. Nothing about her sudden distance was subtle, but… how could she explain it? 'Oh, I'm sorry, I think I might've fallen for you so I'm going to need to you to give me some space before I explode'? Unfortunately, since that wasn't exactly an option- especially since it had_ barely been three weeks_ since this whole plan had begun- all she could do was meekly avoid his prying eyes as she explained her hesitation. "I'm just not sure if this is really a good idea anymore, to be perfectly honest."

Jaune hummed as he cleaned a blender in the sink. "What's wrong with it?" He leaned his elbows upon the counter. "I mean, they're definitely really close. You said that he made Nora lunch again?"

Silently, she nodded.

The blond threw his hands up in the air. "They sound like an old married couple! I don't see the issue, to be honest. It would be nice to see them actually being open about how they feel."

Out of the blue, a small dessert square was pushed in front of her on a small dish, and Pyrrha finally glanced up. Jaune's expression was rueful, a small smile on his lips. "It's made with chia, so it's probably healthy, right?" he offered. "You look like you need the pick-me-up."

Her cheeks flushed darkly again, but before she had to respond, she heard a cheery voice yell from the door, "Oh, Pyrrha's already here?"

"Great, the gang's all here!" Yang chirped. "Now we can scheme together."

Ruby linked her arm through Pyrrha's and dragged the girl off to sit in the largest corner booth of the café. Behind her, she could hear Neptune groan, "Oh, c'mon, why can't I be invited to the scheming too?"

"You already have your job in this, Neptune, go away!" Sun mocked his friend as he and Blake walked into the café after a disgruntled Weiss and Blake.

The pale hotel heiress primly took a seat in the center of the booth, right across from Pyrrha. "Updates. Now."

Pyrrha opened her mouth to respond, but Jaune cut in smoothly as he slid into the booth next to her, "We're doing pretty well, but I don't know how we're going to get them to reach that final stage. We did get Ren more invested in the production."

Automatically, Pyrrha insisted, "Ren's always been invested! Nora just doesn't like sharing when she's going through something difficult with him- he worries a lot, you know."

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Doesn't change the fact that he's making her lunch every day now," he sang teasingly, and Pyrrha realized with a start that she was actually looking at him, and _oh no he's so close-_

As she brought her attention back to the latte in her hand which she'd taken with her from the front counter, she suddenly realized that everyone else was quiet in their circle. Stumbling to fill the silence, she asked, "S-so, what's the next plan, Ruby?"

Oddly enough, everyone's gazes were fixated upon Pyrrha, expressions practically undecipherable. Hearing her name snapped the younger out of it, though, and Ruby quickly sat upright in her seat. "Well, the dinner plan didn't really work out, but that wasn't your fault so it's fine," she declared. "I have a ton of stuff you can try next!"

Weiss pointed a manicured finger at the other girl. "You say that, you dolt, but you're totally forgetting that Nora's show is starting at the end of the month. She's not going to be free for the rest of the month."

At that, Ruby and Yang traded knowing looks, although the younger was a little deflated. "I think we can just focus on Ren then!" Yang exclaimed brightly. "I mean, we might as well, right?"

Jaune nodded. "Me 'n Pyrrha can handle that!" he announced proudly.

Pyrrha nodded, but her eyes remained fixed on her drink. _What am I, a schoolgirl? _But the self-chastising didn't change the fact that for the rest of their little meetup, until Neptune scolded Jaune enough to bring the blond back to work, all the redhead could focus on was the feeling of Jaune sitting pressed against her side.


	22. Day 22: Things People Say

**Day 22: Things People Say**

The next day had Pyrrha both in high spirits and left her utterly crushed- her work had ended up going overtime, leaving her no chance to go to _A Simple Bean _like she usually did. That meant she didn't get to see Jaune, and somehow, the omission of that simple routine left her feeling profoundly out of sorts. However, she did manage to have an incredibly rewarding afternoon with a few clients, so that had been worth the extra work.

And the fact that Jaune had texted her to check in may have helped, certainly.

But after everything was all said and done, Pyrrha was still worried about Nora. When it came to hell week- AKA final tech and dress rehearsals, before the production finally went live for the weeks of its run- Nora had a tendency to neglect herself in favour of pouring everything into the show. Case in point, how exhausted she'd been only a few nights earlier during their dinner escapade.

So, she wandered into HTC after work, finding a frantic Leo looking over stacks of playbills and printed-out tickets. "How are you doing?" she asked kindly.

The older man merely let out an anxious whine as he glanced up, surrounded by the booklets pitifully.

"I'll… leave you to it, then!"

The main hall leading to the theatre was a flurry of activity. Many of the actors were regulars in HTC, and more than a few recognized her, but no one was able to stay and chat. She didn't mind- she'd seen just how hectic it could get backstage before a show many times before.

As she slipped into the theatre to head up to Nora's booth, the director stopped her. "No, no, little Miss Nikos," Roman Torchwick insisted, blocking her path, "you can't come in here right now. I won't let you spoil the show for yourself!" With an authoritative glare, he pointed back at the double-doored exit. "Go sit in the office. I'll send Thor your way."

Pyrrha rolled her eyes at the silly nickname- Nora had gone overboard with a hammer _one time- _but complied anyways, settling into Nora's usual seat.

It only took a few minutes for the door to the techies' office to open again. "Pyrrha, what are you doing here?" Nora cried around the mouth of her water bottle's straw. "I thought you'd be with Jaune right now."

At the mere mention of the blond, Pyrrha felt her cheeks heat up slightly. "Wh-why would that be? I just got off work!" she laughed, although anyone could likely hear how strained her smile was. "I just wanted to check in, but your director kicked me out."

"Well, _duh,_" the orange-haired woman laughed, plopping down on a chair next to her friend. "Previews aren't until the end of the week." Perking up, Nora reached over to the desk, rifling through a few folders haphazardly. "Oh, on that note- look what I have!" She victoriously held up a preview ticket to the upcoming production. "This is for you!"

Pyrrha had gone to almost every single preview performance which Nora took part in, ever since university, so it wasn't surprising. With a grateful smile, she took the ticket and tucked it into her purse. "I can't wait," she beamed truthfully. After a moment, though, she asked, "So, why bring up Jaune?"

"Well I mean," she snorted, "he's _sort of _having like, an existential crisis or something right now, so I told Ren to tell him to talk to you about it, but-"

"Oh my, is he okay?" Instantly, concern flooded into her heart. "Is he over at Ren's shop?"

Nora watched her carefully with a thoughtful glint in her eye for a moment. Finally, she sighed, then stood up. "Don't worry about it! I should probably head back in, though- we'll be starting Act II soon."

Before she headed out, she turned lightly on her heel. "Nora," she murmured, "you're doing okay though, right?"

Nora's smile was brilliant, despite her obvious fatigue. "Of course! I'll be fine." She flexed one arm proudly, showing off strong muscles. "I got this."

With a laugh, Pyrrha waved goodbye, heading home for the day. Her mind was stuck on Nora's words, though, and soon she texted Jaune to check in.

He didn't respond. She didn't know how to feel about that.


	23. Day 23: Wrong Way

**Day 23: Wrong Way**

Despite all of Pyrrha's concerns the day before, Jaune's demeanor seemed fairly normal as he worked behind the counter at _A Simple Bean _the next day. He was just as bright and eager as always, betraying nothing of the supposed meltdown he had experienced the day before. "Sorry, my phone died," he chirped sheepishly when she brought up her missed message. "I didn't see it until later, but everything's fine, don't worry!"

So, she had no choice but to let that lie, instead turning her attention back to the task at hand.

And yet, a part of her mind knew that something was different today. Jaune's eyes were almost reluctant to meet hers, staying focused upon the wooden countertop between them. Each time Pyrrha finally gathered the courage to look up at him properly (because really, she couldn't just keep awkwardly blushing and running away forever) she would catch blue eyes flitting away from her just as quickly, an inquisitive glint in his gaze, ears pink.

Something had changed. What, she didn't know.

Ruby had sent her the next idea to get Ren and Nora together, but Pyrrha wasn't fully on board with it, unfortunately. "It'll be during the one night she has off from the show," she explained. "I don't think she should be going, if I'm being honest."

"But fireworks are pretty romantic, right?" Jaune insisted, fidgeting with the straw of his smoothie. "I mean, we could find them a quiet place to watch them."

"I suppose," the redhead sighed, "but… I think it would be nice for her to rest, that's all."

The local park was putting on a fireworks display soon. Each year they did it, and it was always a lovely affair- a fifteen minute display right off the docks on the park's small lake, the show was usually a highlight of everyone's year. Unfortunately, this year it coincided with Nora's final night of rest before the production went live for a few weeks. In the midst of all the chaos at work, Pyrrha just wanted the other woman to be able to relax and take the time off.

Jaune sighed. "I suppose," he mumbled, taking a sip of his drink. "Ren doesn't like crowds anyways, so maybe something at home would be better."

"Probably," Pyrrha replied, but she couldn't keep the smile off her face. When she had brought up her concerns to Ruby, the younger had been distraught that Pyrrha wasn't on board, so it was nice to see that Jaune was so ready to accommodate her.

After a moment, Jaune proposed, "Wait- why don't we just… ask them?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know- 'Hey, Ren, why don't you just date Nora? You're practically married anyways. Do you want some help?'" He shrugged. "That might work a bit better than what we've been doing so far."

Pyrrha's thoughts flashed back to her conversation with Nora a few days earlier. "I suppose I sort of did already," she admitted ruefully.

Jaune's eyes bugged out. "Wait, what?! What did Nora say?"

She hummed, sipping her drink quietly. "Well, I asked her if she's ever thought of settling down with Ren. Her reaction was…" Thinking back to how the girl had nearly toppled off her chair, the redhead snorted, a fond smile on her face. "It was pretty over-the-top."

"But she didn't say that she _wanted _them to get together?" he pressed eagerly.

Deflating slightly, she shook her head. "No, unfortunately."

Seeing him also losing steam, she perked up artificially, plastering a smile on her face to cheer him up. "Hey, I'm sure we'll figure something out! We might as well give it a shot. There's only a week left- we can do this!"

At that, Jaune was smiling back once more, and for the first time that day, the two properly looked at one another. Pyrrha felt her cheeks heat up lightly, but she managed to stay focused on him.

"If nothing else, it'll be fun?" she offered.

He laughed brightly. "You know it."


	24. Day 24: Too Much

**Day 24: Too Much**

"Guys, can we hurry this up? I've gotta head back to the office!" Sun groaned, adjusting his tie to hang looser around his neck.

"Aw, is the new office grunt not doing well?" Yang teased.

The blond man glowered at her bitterly. "Don't laugh. If I mess up photocopying one more time they're going to lose their minds."

"I just never thought you'd get a job where you had actually to wear a shirt," Weiss scoffed, raising a brow delicately.

Sun rolled his eyes, crossing his legs on his chair, completely ignoring the fact that he was creasing his nice slacks. "I didn't either!" he cried, throwing his hands up in the air. "It's not like this is a choice, dude! I swear, the moment I get a gig in the field…"

"Guys, pay attention," Ruby whined, plopping her beloved binder back on the table. "We still haven't achieved the results we want!"

Weiss crossed her arms, leaning back against the booth's cushioning. "Well, what do you want us to do?" she pointed out. "Nora's practically locked in the theatre now, and Ren's just… Ren."

As everyone pondered their next steps, Pyrrha simmered on the facts at hand. She had spent the entire morning in the gym re-examining everything in the back of her mind while she worked. However, it wasn't until she had worked with a couple who she was working with together that she realized why she had felt so confused and conflicted about the whole plan lately.

Her clients, an elderly couple who had been together for many years, reminded her so much of Ren and Nora that it scared her. While they weren't excessively intimate, there was a familiarity about them in the way that they moved around one another and always knew what the other needed. And no matter how she thought about it, the way that Nora and Ren acted mirrored that couple. Ren was so unconditionally supportive, supporting Nora in a way that Pyrrha just couldn't chalk up to pure friendship- and Nora adored Ren and everything he did, despite the fact that he was so dissimilar to her.

And, when she had brought up the idea of settling down with Ren, Nora's face had been pink, and her voice had risen, and just- there was this _look_ that Nora always got whenever she was dreaming about something, and that look was always there when she was talking about Ren.

It was in that train of thought that Pyrrha finally murmured, "Is there any real reason why they _need _to be together, though?"

"Where's this coming from?" Weiss asked pointedly. "Is anything _wrong _with getting them together?"

"Well, no," she said to appease the pale woman, "but they're honestly really happy where they are, I think. I'm a little concerned with pushing them if they're already content." As those words settled into listening ears, Pyrrha's eyes landed upon Blake. Despite feigning ignorance as usual, with her eyes locked onto her novel, her smile grew as Pyrrha laid out her stance, and the redhead's confidence grew.

"Maybe," Sun murmured, resting his chin upon the table, "we should try and brainstorm a little more?"

Ruby clapped her hands, grabbing everyone's attention. "Alright, squad," she announced. "Next step- partner up and brainstorm for today, then share in the chat what you come up with. We'll go with the next plan." Shifting to face Pyrrha and Jaune, the younger added, "You guys need to be on standby for whatever we decide, okay?"

Jaune gave her a thumbs-up while Pyrrha smiled, relieved. "For sure," she replied. "Just… if in the end nothing happens, don't be sad, okay? Let's just focus on letting them have fun."

"Sure!" "Sounds good!" "Let's go!" With that, everyone began filtering out of the café.

Jaune stood, stretched, and laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. "We'll figure something out, partner," he said kindly.

She beamed and nodded at the easy moniker, ignoring the rise of heat in her face. Only a week left, and then… well, she'd cross that bridge when she got there.


	25. Day 25: Remember

**Day 25: Remember**

"Okay, I found a list."

"What do they suggest?"

Jaune sighed, rolling over onto his back. They were sitting in the usual corner booth of _A Simple Bean, _but there wasn't a customer in sight. "Exams just ended," Neptune explained glumly. "Everyone's going on vacay now, probably. God, I wanna go too…"

"Shh," Jaune huffed, scrolling down the page on his phone.

Pyrrha propped her chin up on her arm, leaning against the table from her chair, amused. "Shouldn't you at least take off the apron before you lie down?" she asked.

"Nah," he mumbled, waving a hand dismissively. "Anyways, here's the list."

Pyrrha had come to the café to brainstorm with Jaune again. Apparently, Ruby wasn't happy with any of the plans the group had come up with the night before, meaning the younger was still demanding 'more adorable' ideas. Hence why Jaune was currently searching on his phone for cute date ideas, using Pyrrha as his sounding board.

"So- take them on a cruise?"

"They have jobs, Jaune."

"Romantic dinners- oh wait, we've already done those."

"Yup."

"How about… ooh, we could drag them down to the beach? We could make them build sandcastles and find shells and-"

"The beach is at least three hours away, Jaune. The point of whatever we do is to help them bond and _relax._"

"Ah… right." After a moment, he snorted. "Apparently, locking them both in a closet and blasting sex-jams from outside the door is also a tried-and-true method."

"Excuse me?!" Pyrrha choked, sitting upright. "What are you even _reading?_"

Jaune snickered, "_Cosmo."_

The redhead pressed the heels of her hands against her forehead, shaking in mirth. "Why would you do that?! That's _awful._"

He held up one hand, pausing her. "I didn't say it was a _smart _idea, I just said it was an _idea._"

Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "Okay, but please get off that site. I'm sure we can figure something else out." She enjoyed her coffee in silence for a moment, listening to Jaune hum as he checked out more (reputable) websites for ideas. Every once in a while, he would sit up, sharing another idea. Unfortunately, none of them really stuck with Pyrrha.

After all, how do you create an atmosphere where two people who, through actions and kindness and _warmth, _already knew they loved each other, could verbalize it at last?

"I can't believe we've already done this for weeks," Jaune murmured. "The amount of silliness has been…"

"…unexpected," Pyrrha finished for him.

The blond nodded emphatically. "It doesn't seem like it's been almost a month, though! I thought we'd have more time."

Pyrrha sighed dreamily, sipping her coffee. "You're right," she murmured. "Time flies."

"...it's been fun though, right?"

There was something different in his voice, so Pyrrha looked up from her drink. Her breath caught slightly as she locked eyes with him, blue watching her meaningfully under slightly furrowed brows. He was clearly awaiting her answer, so she stuttered out, of guard, "O-of course!"

It wasn't a lie. Spending time with Jaune over the past few weeks had been the highlight of her days. The blond was just so easy to get along with, although he was so different from her. Softening, she smiled shyly at him. "It's… it's been really great."

With that admission, he relaxed, pulling himself upright. "Cool! Well, I should get back to work."

From behind the counter, Neptune threw his arms up in the air. "Thank you!"

Pyrrha chuckled and finished her coffee, then headed to the door. "Just… send all of those to Ruby, okay? Don't forget!"

"Yeah, yeah," he said dismissively, but with a sweet smile, he added, "See you tomorrow, Pyrrha!"

She waved, then jogged out the door and down the block, excited to see which one Ruby would settle upon- and to see Jaune again.


	26. Day 26: Song

**Day 26: Song**

Pyrrha was generally a fairly composed person. Usually, on days where she could come home early, she would have already made her dinner by nightfall. Today, however, she couldn't focus on making her quinoa and chicken for the life of her- although she had tried to retain as much dignity and composure as possible at first, she had long before given up, collapsing into a shaking heap of hearty laughter on the hardwood floor.

The cause of her laughter was Jaune. After looking at everyone's ideas for their final plan to get Nora and Ren together, Ruby's favourite had, horrifyingly enough, been Jaune's awful idea of just locking their two friends in their supply closet at home. Pyrrha had promptly objected, which led to Yang offering, "Maybe we can keep the romantic music idea and retry the dinner? Let's just make it lunch instead or something."

Everyone unanimously agreed on that idea, sending Jaune and Pyrrha different playlists and recipe ideas. Pyrrha had been quite impressed by the wholesome collaboration- everyone was just so excited to see Nora and Ren finally get together. So, Jaune had dropped by her place after his shift so they could sort through the ideas offered up by the group.

However, that certainly didn't excuse the playlist Sun had sent them, which was the true source of her breakdown into giggles.

"Why is this so sexual?!" she squeaked, having long before given up on feeling scandalized by the man's song choices. The voice playing on her speakers had devolved into moaning over the crooning saxophone, and she couldn't handle it anymore.

Jaune was totally and utterly red in the face, wheezing as he clicked through to the next track from his seat by her kitchen island. "I don't even care whether they get together," he croaked between wails of laughter, tears in his eyes. "I just want to keep this playlist forever."

She finally managed to pick herself up from the floor and turn back to her chicken, flipping it in the skillet quickly. As another disgustingly crude track began to play, Pyrrha scoffed, "Why, do you plan on using it?"

Jaune winked teasingly, desperately trying to keep his expression straight. "I figure it'll come in handy for Neptune the next time he wants to hit on a poor customer."

"Jaune!" she squealed, tossing a few grains of quinoa at him. The blond simply rolled his eyes and jokingly began dancing in his seat along to the bass line.

She shook her head wryly, finally plating the food for the two of them. "Here, eat," she laughed. "And turn that off!"

The singer's voice suddenly hit an all-new high in sexual expressiveness, and the redhead buried her face in her hands, eliciting an even brighter laugh from Jaune. "Sorry, sorry," he chuckled, clicking through his phone. "I'll stop."

The woman straightened up, trying to banish the lyrics of the song from her mind as she grabbed cutlery and glasses. When she turned to look at the blond, though, to her surprise, his eyes weren't on his phone as he lowered the volume- instead, they were trained on her, heavy-lidded and curious. Instantly, she froze, waiting for him to speak.

Suddenly, Pyrrha was _very _aware of the situation. She was in her apartment. With the man she had feelings for. Listening to something she _really wasn't comfortable with. _

And... apparently the music was having its intended effect on him?

_Oh my god. What do I do?!_

He didn't get the chance to say anything, though, as the lock in the front door suddenly shifted, Nora's voice filtering through the entrance. "Pyrrha's never usually home this early, so we should be safe."

"Go spare keys!" they heard Ruby's voice giggle. Immediately, the two of them were wary, waiting for the scene to unfold. "So, do you really think this'll get them together?"

Pyrrha's heart sank in her chest as the conversation continued. _What...? _As the key slipped out of the lock and the door opened wide, Nora added, "Sun sent them that playlist, right? I got Mercury to share it with me. Even Jaune would figure out how to get in the mood with that! And Pyrrha's _such _a sucker for mood lighting, it totally will-"

And then, the door opened fully, and Nora, Ren and Ruby stepped into Pyrrha's apartment, arms laden with shopping bags, stopping in their tracks only once they saw the shared look of horror on Pyrrha and Jaune's faces.

Nora was the one to finally break the silence. "…oops?"


	27. Day 27: Impatience

**Day 27: Impatience**

"What, so you were going to set up a… 'romantic dinner' for _us_?"

"Yup."

"Nora, you _knew _about this?"

The orange-haired woman stuck her tongue out embarrassedly, trying to play off the situation as the group sat around Pyrrha's coffee table. "Pfft, no," she scoffed playfully. When neither Pyrrha nor Jaune responded, she sobered up a little. "…yeah. We figured it out pretty quickly."

"When?" Jaune groaned, utterly mortified.

"Nora texted me after you all went to dinner at the Schnee," Ruby admitted ashamedly. "She saw you two and immediately figured out that something was up."

"You two have never spent time together," Ren murmured pointedly. "Why would you two go together to a fancy hotel together, even with the free tickets?"

"And why wouldn't you tell us you were coming too?" Nora cried.

Pyrrha sighed. _I guess it _has _been super obvious._ "We never knew you saw us. So… you thought you should let us continue anyways?"

"We were curious to see what you'd come up with," Ren explained.

"And," Nora added, "it basically let you guys go on a few dates. We always thought that you'd be good for each other!"

"Ruby," Jaune cried at this, "why didn't you tell us?"

The younger flinched under the scrutiny guiltily. "Well, I mean- I just…" She sighed heavily, gathering her strength to confess it all. "Look- Nora found out, so I told her about our plan, and Pyrrha's really awesome but she doesn't ever date. We all just wanted you to be happy, and Jaune's really sweet but needs someone to keep him on-track so we figured that you'd be good for each other, I've thought about forcing you two together for _years _so when Nora said we should change the plan to get you two together everyone agreed-"

"Wait," Pyrrha interrupted, holding out a hand to pause her, "is _everyone _in on this?"

"…maybe?" Ruby squeaked.

She wanted to sink into the floor. _No wonder everyone's been watching us!_

Jaune groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I can't believe you all. Why wouldn't you just _tell us-"_

"We weren't trying to be mean or anything, you guys are honestly really good for each other!" Ruby insisted. "Nora said that it was a good chance to get you two to spend time together, since she and Ren are already dating so-"

Pyrrha jumped up at that. "I'm sorry, _what?" _Simultaneously, she and Jaune turned their attention to Ren and Nora, the latter laughing sheepishly.

It was Ren who stepped in to explain. "We've been dating since university."

Pyrrha gaped at him. "But… but why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged. "It didn't really affect anyone else."

But her mind was already racing. "But… it just… it never looked like it." Turning to Jaune for confirmation, she explained, "Normally you'd ask your roommate if your boyfriend can come over, right? To have privacy. You two were never intimate in front of me-"

"Pyrrha," Nora said gently, understanding the confusion, "we're _not _intimate."

"I'm ace," Ren said simply. "Nora's okay with that. And I've already committed to her forever. So, we're together."

"He doesn't like physical intimacy. I respect that. I don't need touch- I'm… I'm just happy to have him here." The orange-haired woman reached over and grabbed Pyrrha's hand tenderly. "I know that I should've told you ages ago, but… it just didn't feel like it mattered, y'know? You never asked until this whole scheme, so we never even talked about it before."

Jaune just stared blankly at Ren, trying to take it all in. "Dude, why didn't you at least say that you were together?"

"I didn't want everyone to know," he replied coolly. "People always expect couples to be physical in public. I didn't want to field all the questions about why we aren't."

Pyrrha's heart sank, guilt flooding in. "I… I'm sorry," she whispered, looking down at her knuckles, ashamed. They were white, clenched fists trembling on her knees. "You… that's totally fair. I'm sorry we made you tell us."

"No, Pyrrha," Nora insisted, standing up so she could wrap her arms around Pyrrha. "We wanted to tell you, but we never found the chance."

"Yeah," Ren smiled gently. "And, if anyone's to blame, it's us."

"We just wanted you two to be happy. We love you both a lot, and just wanted you two to be happy, too."

"It's still my fault," Ruby said quietly. "If you're going to blame anyone, blame me. I sorta wanted you and Jaune to end up together anyways through this. Me and Weiss have been scheming how to get you two together for months."

The blond stood up suddenly, running weary hands through his hair. "Guys, I think I'm gonna… I'm gonna head home now," he muttered, clearly reeling from the newfound revelations.

"Jaune-" Pyrrha attempted, but he shook his head.

"I'll message you later, okay Pyrrha?" And with that, Jaune gathered his belongings and shuffled out of her house, leaving her apartment much colder than before.

Pyrrha looked at Nora, crestfallen. "…it worked, you know," she whispered.

Nora's eyes lit up before falling again, understanding what she meant. "…I know. You're not subtle, Pyrrha."

She snorted soullessly. "I really like him."

Ruby groaned at that, jamming the heels of her hands into her eyes. "We've ruined everything, haven't we?"


	28. Day 28: If

**Day 28: If**

Jaune didn't text her that night- nor the next day, for that matter.

If he never did, then how could she even hope to start the conversation again?

Ren promised to speak to him. "He's just not good at dealing with embarrassment," the florist had explained quietly. "We didn't expect you two to find out. I'm really sorry, Pyrrha."

"We'll do our best to help you two go back to normal, okay?" Nora had soothed, but her attempts were in vain.

"Nora, our _normal _was meeting up every day to figure out how to hook _you two _up," Pyrrha had replied, deadpan. "I don't think we can go back to that."

"Don't say that," Ruby had insisted. Throughout the entire evening, the remorseful look in her eyes had yet to cease. "I'll talk to him, too. You two had so much fun together, Pyrrha! You looked so good together!"

Although hearing that admission may have lit her heart on fire only a few days before, now, thought the just stung. How in the world could she recover her relationship with him ever again?

That was the only train of thought on her mind as she went for a run that morning. She hadn't slept well, so the outdoor run was her best bet to clear her head. So, with her bag prepped by the door and keys in hand, she began jogging through the empty streets, bright and early as the rest of the city slowly awoke from its own slumber.

But the run didn't help, not one bit. She couldn't just let herself slip away into her thoughts, relaxing as she mulled over her most recent conundrums. No, instead, each step she took down the winding roads of Vale made her glance around nervously, hyperaware of where she was- because she just… couldn't see Jaune.

If she did, what was she supposed to say?

So, she didn't go to Beacon's peaceful campus, nor near _A Simple Bean, _for her run. Instead, she headed downtown, veering as far away from the coffee shop as possible. New pavement pounded under her heels as she stumbled through this part of town, but nothing was the same. Unlike the sleepy college area, downtown was always bustling, day and night. There were already traffic jams and busy people running out and about, and soon, all she could do was duck into alleys and try to wind her way back home.

Unfortunately, running through the unfamiliar streets over time began building more anxiety than it eased. Her heart began pumping far too hard in her chest, frustration mounting, and by the time she had managed to bring herself back home, she was panting for breath and more lost than ever.

And by the time she came home, Jaune still hadn't messaged her.

Instead, Ruby had left her some information. "He's just being silly," the younger wrote. "He doesn't want to even bring it up."

That was even more crushing to hear. Did he think that she was in on it? Pyrrha had been just as blindsided as Jaune, but seeing the way he was responding, it almost felt like she had been a part of it.

_All I wanted was to spend some time with him. Was… was that too much?_

Nora came over after rehearsal that night, absolutely exhausted, but still more than ready to comfort the redhead. "I should've told you," she kept insisting. "I'm really sorry, Pyrrha. I didn't think Jaune would be like this! I've never seen him act like this with anything! Ren's on it, don't worry."

Her words weren't comforting, though. So, after Nora headed home, Pyrrha took a while to re-examine everything that had happened.

Nora and Ren had been dating this whole time. Her suspicions had been correct the whole time, and they were happy the way they were. Their relationship didn't need more meddling.

Ruby and everyone definitely wanted the best for her and Jaune- otherwise, they wouldn't have come up with such ridiculous schemes. Now that the truth had been revealed, the redhead could only hide her face in her hands. In hindsight, everything had been so obvious- how could she not have realized?

And yet, it had been enough. She wanted to see Jaune again, despite everything.

…avoiding the café that day had hurt more than she had expected.


	29. Day 29: One Hundred Years

**Day 29: One Hundred Years**

Time passed. The deadline for Ruby's 30-Day plan came and went. The group chat was deleted, and Pyrrha tried her best to carry on with life. Her breaks were spent in the nearby park, across the street from the gym- and down the opposite length of road to _A Simple Bean._

It was cheaper to brew her own coffee in the morning, anyways.

Ruby insisted that she would get Jaune to talk to Pyrrha. Ren clamped down on that behaviour quickly- "He doesn't need any of us to tell him anything," he explained. "I've talked to him. He's aware Pyrrha's innocent, and he's not mad at us anymore, although his anger was... justified. It's just his pride now. Give him time."

But his trip to Vacuo was soon approaching, and Pyrrha could feel time ticking by with creeping dread.

Soon, Pyrrha was standing in the foyer of HTC, awaiting the preview of their production of _Little Shop. _The entire crew was bustling, getting the cast ready backstage and ensuring that the smaller audience for the preview was taken care of in an orderly fashion.

Jaune still hadn't messaged her back.

Ren was there. Just like Pyrrha, he had a bouquet, which he calmly placed in the techie's office along with the redhead's. "My mother told me you bought one, too," he murmured knowingly. "She was pretty impressed."

"Well, we both love Nora the most, right?" the redhead replied. Judging by how Ren's eyes softened, a small smile on his lips, she knew he agreed.

Once the doors opened, they found themselves in the audience seats. Before Pyrrha could get settled, though, Ren grabbed her arm and began pulling her up to the tech booth. "Ren, we should let them be, the show's starting!" she insisted, but Ren continued to guide her up to the top anyways.

Her confusion instantly turned to dread once he pushed her past the booth and into the fire escape at the top of the audience. Waiting for them was Nora, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently alongside an equally-befuddled blond. Once they entered, though, Nora's face lit up. "Right on time! I've been waiting for this _forever. _Okay kids, you have like, fifteen minutes before the show starts."

"I'll save you two a seat," Ren added as Nora skipped past him. Pyrrha turned to follow, but he sent her a pointed look, then closed the door behind him. "Talk."

And so, Pyrrha swivelled back to face Jaune, the blond staring at his feet, red-faced and unsure.

"…Hey, Jaune."

"Hey, Pyrrha."

_Oh good, we're both mortified. _

After a moment of awkward quiet, the only sound coming from the filtering chatter of the audience through the fire door, Jaune finally offered, "Are… you excited for the show?"

"I am."

"I somehow haven't seen this one before."

"Me neither, but apparently it's great. The plants look really good."

"Aliens, right?"

"Yup."

"Neat."

And the silence continued.

Pyrrha was almost about to burst from the combined awkwardness and lingering fear of rejection when Jaune finally offered, "Look, Pyrrha- I'm sorry for the other day."

"It's fine-"

"No, it's not." He sighed, running his hand through shaggy blond hair. "I… this whole thing is probably my fault."

_That _was new. "What are you talking about?"

"Ruby's been bugging me to ask you out for _years, _but I just… I never thought it would work before." He sighed, defeated. "I always thought that you were really cool, but I only ever saw you with Nora and Ren, so there was never a chance to ever actually get to know you, y'know? So, I'm pretty sure that Ruby devised this whole thing just to give me a chance."

She could only blink slowly as she took in this new information. Jaune had always been interested in her? "Then why didn't you call me back after we found out?"

He flushed a deep red, guilt playing through his eyes. "…yeah, I definitely messed up here, huh?" He groaned, leaning back against the wall. "I didn't know what to say. How exactly do you say 'hey, I know our friends have been conspiring to get us together, so we've had absolutely no privacy thus far, but do you wanna date me anyways?' It just didn't sound right."

"…I'd be okay with it," she whispered.

He bolted upright, staring at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. "I'm sorry, what?!"

But then, excited applause rang through even the thick fire door. "…We'd better go back in."

He looked like he wanted to protest, but backed down in the end. "Yeah," he agreed quietly.

So, they re-entered the theatre, and Pyrrha tried her best to put aside their conversation to focus on the show.


	30. Day 30: What I Wrote

**Day 30: What I Wrote**

By the time the show had ended, it was nearly midnight. Thankfully, the air was still buzzing with praise and excitement- the production had been spectacular. When she was finally able to focus on it, and not Jaune's presence by her side (of _course _Ren had saved adjacent seats for them both) Pyrrha couldn't find a single flaw in the meticulous work put into the show. Everything, from the acting, to the pit, to the effects and lighting, worked perfectly together.

Nora rushed out after the initial crowd had filtered out of the theatre, throwing her arms around Ren and Pyrrha's necks enthusiastically. "The flowers are so nice!" she squealed proudly. "Did you like the show though? Wasn't it _awesome?_"

"It was wonderful, Nora," Pyrrha laughed, extracting herself from her friend's hold and pulling away.

She was about to add more, but froze instead. Right before her eyes, the redhead watched as Nora looked over to Ren for a seal of approval, releasing him as well. When the man nodded warmly, her entire face lit up, and she lightly tapped his nose before turning back to Pyrrha.

The entire exchange was _so obvious. _How had she not recognized their relationship earlier?

Surprisingly enough, it was Ren who spoke first. "I'll make sure Nora gets home. Jaune, take Pyrrha home." Before either of them could protest, he guided Nora to sit in the front of the theatre, where the rest of the cast and crew were gathering to take notes before closing down HTC for the night. Pyrrha wanted to protest, but a firm glare from the director shooed them out, and soon Pyrrha and Jaune were standing on the sidewalk outside of HTC, silence hanging heavy between them.

"So… great show, huh?" he asked awkwardly. "You were right, the plant was _awesome._"

Pyrrha chuckled wryly, but her heart wasn't in it. "Yeah, they did a fantastic job." She readjusted the strap of her purse over her shoulder. _This… this isn't the best time to talk about this, huh? Maybe he doesn't want to do this right now.._. "I'll… um… I'll talk to you later?" When he didn't respond, she turned to head towards the nearest bus stop.

"Wait!" His hand shot out and grabbed her arm. She turned back, startled at the contact- and the bright red in his cheeks as he stuttered out, "C-come back to my place?"

She flushed head-to-toe. That certainly wasn't what she had been expecting. "Oh." But even before she could formulate a coherent response, her feet began taking steps towards him, and soon they were walking the opposite direction, towards the train station. The train was packed, but Jaune grabbed her a seat and hovered over her protectively, allowing her to keep her eyes trained on her hands, fidgeting anxiously with her lanyard in her lap.

_Oh. _

Yet, her worries and unease faded away almost-instantly when she walked through his front door. Sitting on his armchair was the stuffed otter she had won for him at the aquarium. He had kept it- and something about that innocuous little truth allowed her to relax completely.

He hadn't been lying in the theatre. He was serious about her.

Jaune made them both cups of decaf, and they settled to sipping their drinks quietly around his cluttered kitchen. "You kept it," she murmured, nodding towards the otter.

"Of course I did."

Sip. "So… you meant what you said? You'd like to try?"

Jaune nodded hesitantly. "I mean… if you'll have me." He quickly backtracked, "I mean, I'm leaving soon for my trip- shit, maybe we should only talk about it after, I don't want to force you to make a choice-"

"No, Jaune," she laughed, genuine and true. "It's okay."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Sip. "So… should we tell Ruby and them? That we're giving it a shot?"

Pyrrha snorted. Ruby had caused _so much grief _for the two of them over the past month, but now that the tension between herself and Jaune had so easily ceased, she didn't harbour any frustration towards the younger. Without her ridiculous schemes, she wouldn't have grown so close with Jaune, after all.

Still, she joked, "Maybe we should let them wonder for a while longer?"

He flashed her a wicked grin. "See, this is why I knew I liked you, Pyrrha."

And she laughed even harder, the blond seizing the opportunity to crack more jokes until she was clutching the countertop for support through fits of giggles.

They didn't tell anyone that she didn't go home that night. Instead, they purposefully avoided each other for the week, feigning ignorance whenever Ruby and Nora and Ren asked. Soon, concerned messages from the entire group began flooding in, and the two of them could only giggle and share their victories through late night chats on the phone. They didn't mind, though- "It's good practice for when you head out!" Pyrrha reasoned, and Jaune had to agree.

When they finally _did _tell their friends about their own schemes, the results were more than satisfying. Ruby and Yang were upset over the trick, while Weiss could only repeat, "You are _all _dolts. I don't know why I hang out with any of you!" Sun and Neptune congratulated them, and Ilia, the new girl at _A Simple Bean, _merely blinked at the news.

"She thought we were dating already," Jaune explained to Pyrrha, and the redhead could only laugh.

But the fireworks display in the local park which Ruby had told them about was beautiful, and Pyrrha and Jaune were more than happy to go on behalf of Nora and Ren while the orange-haired woman relaxed at home for her last night off before the show officially launched. At the end of the day, Ruby had been right about one thing, after all- her giant binder really was filled with some pretty good ideas to get people to fall in love.

** _-fin-_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're done!
> 
> Here's a few other works to check out if you're interested:
> 
> No Compromise (updated daily)- a look into Adam's entire life in canon told through drabbles
> 
> What We Call Home (updated Sundays)- a retelling of post V3-6 through Nora's POV, focusing on Renora's backstory and JNR's adventures
> 
> Metal Hands, Patchwork Hearts (updated Tuesdays) - a retelling of post V3-5 through Yang's POV, focusing on Yang's recovery
> 
> Scribbles (updated Thursdays) - a look into Glynda and James' relationship throughout their lives, from students to professors, in a slight soulmate AU
> 
> If any of you have an idea for AU!Arkos like this fic or 'Thrown to the Wind', my other AU!Arkos fic, let me know! I still have a bunch of oneshots planned for them, so stick around for those. 
> 
> Let me know what you thought of the finale! Cheers :D

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment, let me know what you think!


End file.
